Print | Email | Share | Comments (0)

Case of Mistaken Identity

Educator Accused of Harassing Student Wearing an Insulin Pump; Mistakes It for a Beeper, But Is Not Reprimanded

R. Mclean

Jun 1, 2002

Eagles Landing Middle School

The West Boca Raton, Florida, school district has decided not to reprimand an assistant principal accused of harassing a student who was wearing an insulin pump, according to an April 24 South Florida Sun-Sentinel article.

In describing the March incident at Eagles Landing Middle School, school officials said that the educator, Nereyda Astiasaran-Perez, thought that an eighth-grader, Nikki Wagner, was wearing a beeper in the school's cafeteria and asked Wagner to take it off. Beepers are not allowed at school.

Wagner explained that it was an insulin pump, at which point the educator "kept asking" what the device was, according to the school's principal, Ira Margulies. Wagner then took the pump off, placed it on the table and ran out of the room. Once Astiasaran-Perez realized that it was a medical device, she contacted a police officer, who returned it to the student.

"The claim was that the assistant principal touched the child and took it off her, and she did not," said district spokesperson Nat Harrington. "The assistant principal did not touch the child."

Margulies stated that he was pleased with the district's decision and that he plans to talk to his staff and prep them on how to handle such situations. "We still plan to make sure our teachers are aware of students' health conditions," he said.

The girl's father, Jeff Wagner, however, said that he was "shocked" by the decision not to reprimand Astiasaran-Perez.

According to a March 22 Sun-Sentinel article, Nikki Wagner and a friend who witnessed the incident claim that Astiasaran-Perez yanked the pump, which was attached to the girl's body with tubing and a needle, as she was taking it off.

"She was pulling on it," Wagner insisted. "I felt it. It was bleeding."

Wagner's parents have issued complaints to both the school district and state officials about the incident. They note that they have worked hard to educate school officials about the special needs of children with type 1 diabetes. "We need to educate the educators," says the girl's mother, Debbi Wagner. "They don't follow their own procedures."

Categories: Diabetes, Diabetes, Discrimination, Insulin, Insulin Pumps, Kids & Teens, Type 1 Issues, Type 1 Issues

Comments

Add your comments about this article below. You can add comments as a registered user or anonymously. If you choose to post anonymously your comments will be sent to our moderator for approval before they appear on this page. If you choose to post as a registered user your comments will appear instantly.

When voicing your views via the comment feature, please respect the Diabetes Health community by refraining from comments that could be considered offensive to other people. Diabetes Health reserves the right to remove comments when necessary to maintain the cordial voice of the diabetes community.

For your privacy and protection, we ask that you do not include personal details such as address or telephone number in any comments posted.

Don't have your Diabetes Health Username? Register now and add your comments to all our content.

Have Your Say...

Registered User Anonymous

Your Name:	Your Email:	X

Recipient's Name:	Recipient's Email:

Your Chosen Username:	Your Email Address:

Chosen Password:	Confirm Password:

Email to a Friend

Case of Mistaken Identity

You May Also Be Interested In...

Comments

Register...

Have Your Say...

Diabetes Health

Topics

Topics

Topics

Diabetes Health Medical Disclaimer

Comment: