TALLAHASSEE - Three disabled Leon County residents are seeking to sue the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Board of Trustees and university staff under the Florida Education Equity Act, alleging discriminatory treatment in relation to having a safe environment for taking an exam.
The suit was filed May 11 by attorney Marie Mattox on behalf of plaintiffs Zerika Armand-Williams, Keonna Baker and Alexis Bliunt in Leon County Circuit Court.
The three plaintiffs allege that they were enrolled in the doctorate program for the university’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at its Tallahassee campus. They allege there were several instances of not being permitted to retake an exam for various reasons.
Another example of discrimination, the suit says, was a then-pregnant plaintiff not being given extra time to complete an exam after she was made ill by "noxious" fumes present in the room where the examination took place.
Additionally, the suit alleges that other students were permitted to retake classes or perform remediation in order to prevent “lengthy or permanent dismissals” from the program.
In addition to the “severe disruption” to their lives, careers and finances, the plaintiffs allege that the university’s treatment of them caused “mental, emotional and physical damage.”
The plaintiffs are seeking equitable relief, general and compensatory damages and damages for economic loss, costs and interest, as well as that the court enjoin the university from future violations of the law.