Colin Carlson, a 13-year-old student at the University of Connecticut, has claimed he is the victim of age discrimination after being denied enrollment in a class that requires field work in Africa, ABC News reports. The college’s director of risk management said the professor teaching the class did not want the youth to enroll, despite openly recruiting students for the course, according to Colin Carlson’s mother, Jessica Offir. She said that not allowing her son to take the class violates federal law and the university’s antidiscrimination policy. The student has a 3.9 grade-point average, with a double major in environmental studies and in ecology and evolutionary biology. A Connecticut spokesman, in a written statement, said, “The university doesn’t comment on pending claims or litigation. Speaking generally, when it comes to study-abroad programs, student safety is our first concern.”
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What a bunch of crap! The “first concern” of so-called “risk management” is to do whatever it takes–even if illegal–to protect the institution and its faculty–even if they’re wrong and in violation of a student’s civil and Constitutional rights–from lawsuits. It’s all about the “almighty dollar” and always has been. And I speak from firsthand experience, and the accrediting agencies, US DOE, US DOJ, EEOC, or any other Federal or state agencies do anything about it, as they’re all part of the same corrupt system. Higher ed, and education in general in this country, is deplorable, and the rest of the world knows it. That’s what always happens and always WILL happen whenever systems of government, education, healthcare, whatever, operate like businesses, putting profits and fear of lawsuits over providing quality education, respectful of civil and Constitutional rights.Carol Tucker, MACourt Reform-NOWPro Se Can You Plea
The kid is just too young. I don’t care how book-smart he is, but I woulnd’t want to have to chase after a child (whose brain can’t reason like an adult) in Africa.
Why not require his mother to accompany him on the trip? Seems a simple solution.
Since when did anti-age discrimination laws start protecting 13 year-olds? Is it age discrimination to prohibit 13 year-olds from obtaining drivers’ licenses or beer, or serving in the military? Statutes and related anti-age discrimination policies are designed to protect older people, not kids.
…at the mother’s expense of course, including all required vaccinations.ps. As a chief academic officer, I wouldn’t allow minor child on a study abroad trip either — not without the parent (who would be fully responsible for his/her child’s behavior — but not his schoolwork).
I concur with the above–the student can’t drink legally or see an R-rated movie, yet his parent thinks it is okay for him to go to Africa alone? If not the mother herself, someone authorized to act as a guardian should go with him.
13-year-olds can invoke privilege in mental health communications, in medical communications (i.e, with doctors) and are deemed competent to testify in court. I would not have wanted my son to travel abroad at 13 without adult supervision, even though he had already earned an 1170 on the SAT (gifted program testing). He definitely did not have the emotional maturity, imho.
Ms Tucker,You should have skipped your juvenile tirade – it was “a bunch of crap!” It gave away your age, in terms of both emotional age and maturity. It is obvious that you, like the rest of us, know none of the facts of this particular case other than the very meager eleven lines of print above. We don’t know any of the reasoning of the professor or the other officials whose decisions about risk management have to consider the child prodigy, the other members of the class, and the University. Their obligations have to consider also the fiduciary risks to the people of the State of Connecticut who in the end may have to pay if the child is injured on the trip. You were so “wrapped around the axle” that you stated “accrediting agencies, US DOE, US DOJ, EEOC, or any other Federal or state agencies do anything about it” – you obviously meant the negative, but you didn’t even proofread your own comments (which are heavily-laden with generalities and specious argumentation).Besides, where in the Constitution (other than another creation out of thin air and wishes) is there a statement that gives a child a right to a trip to Africa for a class? There is no civil or Constitutional right to same. Unlike most Americans, I have read the U.S. Constitution numerous times from beginning to end, and I find very few of the so-called “rights” that are claimed (including the separation of church and state that is said to be part of the Constitution). And your comment that the higher education in this country is “deplorable” reflects only deplorable ignorance on your part.
Dealing with a minor is a tough call. An institution of higher education rightly does not want to act “in loco parentis”. The simple suggestion of including the parent to avert this is reasonable. However, there are still issues pertaining to the mother’s relationship to the group on this trip. Since the college required the parent go, what is the institution’s responsibility to her on this school sponsored trip? The easy road seems to deny the minor until he is old enough to take responsibility for his own behavior (without non-institutional supervision).
Rsponse to ole-perfessor…You don’t know me or walk in my shoes, and the statement “a bunch of crap” is most certainly NOT a “juvenile tirade,” and if you think it is, you’ve clearly not spent much time around juveniles. The comments on this site are just that–comments–and not academic tomes, and therefore, do not deserve to be criticized as such. Your vehement, defensive foot-stomping tantrum at anyone who dares express views different from your own is a reflection on YOU, ole-perfessor, not me. Might I suggest a good anger management class, one which will teach you to curb your penchant for ad hominem attacks with whomever disagress with you, as well as a good hard look in the mirror before you so carelessly judge someone you don’t even know nor give the benefit of the doubt.And for the record, your comments about what is and is not in the Constitution are so far off-base, they’re in outer space, so perhaps you should try reading it again sometime soon, objectively rather than subjectively.In addition, jumping all over MY case for pointing out the deplorable state of education in this country does not negate the truth of the statement nor the fact that many in the global community agree, so take a “chill pill,” ole-perfessor.Carol Tucker, MACourt Reform-NOWPro Se Can You Plea
Although the article doesn’t give any details, it refers to the trip as “field work”– to me that sounds quite a bit different from just a sightseeing trip or a study-abroad experience. If it is field work that involves interacting with Africans, perhaps the instructor has legitimate concerns… how seriously would Africans take a 13 year old interviewing them about their access to health care? What if the field work is working in a clinic? There might be local laws that bar such activities for someone so young. Without knowing what the course is called, what the field work actually is, or even what field the professor teaches in, it is hard to make any reasonable judgement. Am I the only one who finds the lack of details in these “Ticker” stories frustrating?
greilly:The lack of information in the ticker stories is surely frustrating if one wants to understand a situation, or think about that situation in a rasoned way. If, however, one simply wants to vent, or to flame others, actual information would only be an impediment.
See below for the disclaimer that should, I suspect (I am NOT a lawyer) allow the school to prohibit this child from going to Africa. If I were the professor, I would quit before I would take an unaccompanied minor to do fieldwork in any country let alone one in Africa. As a parent I cannot believe that any mother would even consider letting her child of this age go to another country with a group of 19-20 somethings. As a person who has traveled extensively outside the US I can only say “what is she thinking?”"Age Discrimination Act of 1975(42 U.S.C. Sections 6101-6107)– Privacy and Security Statement — —DISCLAIMER— (b) Nonviolative actions; program or activity exemption. (1) it shall not be a violation of any provision of this chapter, or of any regulation issued under this chapter, for any person to take any action otherwise prohibited by the provisions of section 6102 of this title if, in the program or activity involved–(A) Such action reasonably takes into account age as a factor necessary to the normal operation or the achievement of any statutory objective of such program or activity;”
If the situation merits anger, then let’s be angry. If the situation merits contemplation, then let’s contemplate. If the situation merits a decision, then let’s decide. If the situation merits ingorance, then let’s be ignorant.We often find in life that yes/no is often what our culture wants and seldom what is called for by the situation. The universe is not black-and-white, although a large portion of the population wants it to be. Educators have all had opportunities to learn and to grow in ways that lawyers and businessmen will never see. It does not make us better, but it does give us abilities to see from unique points of view, to think beyond the box. Rather than get furious about whether it is right or wrong, adjust the situation to make it more right or less wrong. It is a strategy seldom expected by our culture. It is a strategy that often works.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/18934576/detail.html – Peace Corps volunteer murdered in Africa.http://www.peacecorpswriters.org/pages/2000/0011/011leteth.html – Volunteer eaten by crocodile swimming in the Baro River.Forced return because of malaria and other disease is common. Not a chance this boy should be allowed to go do field work without a parent accompanying him. That said, it could be a very interestng and worthwhile thing for the kid to do – and for his mother.
First, Africa is not a country. Please stop talking about it as though it were. “Peace Corps volunteer murdered in Africa” indeed. That is as intelligent and informative as saying: “Peace Corp volunteer murdered in North America”. Second, where does the young man plan to go? In all of my time spent in “Africa”, I have yet to contract anything. Well, I did get food poisoning once from a vegetable pie I purchased at a bakery in Johannesburg but I should have known better – it smelled off to begin with.Third, I do agree that he should be with a chaperone but not because he plans to study somewhere on the African Continent. Would you let him roam Italy alone?Finally, the breathless OMG reaction to the idea of traveling or living on the African continent amuses me. That’s fine, though. That just leaves more for the rest of us who have discovered that the idea of the “dark continent” was a convenient lie. Let the ninnies stay home.P.S. greilly, I am amazed at your concern about a child interacting with “Africans”. It sounds like you might have a similar concern about a child interacting with Monkeys or Baboons or other unpredicable lower primates (which, I suppose, informs the OMG reaction to the very idea of a child setting foot in that wildy dangerous jungle of nastiness). I suppose the reaction of “Africans” might be much like the reaction of “Europeans” to a 13-year-old asking them questions about their access to healthcare. There are “Europeans” on the continent. Would you feel more comfortable about the young man interacting with them? Please, spare us your ridiculous stereotyping.As for “the Africans”, don’t worry. They have become good and resigned to “Europeans” of all ages from all over coming in to ask silly questions about intimate matters then disapearing with the data, never to return.
daisy96, I am surprised at the construction you put on greilly’s point (“If it is field work that involves interacting with Africans, perhaps the instructor has legitimate concerns… how seriously would Africans take a 13 year old interviewing them about their access to health care?”) Knowing nothing more than that the destination is Africa, how else is greilly supposed to refer to the people one might interview there? And isn’t it legitimate to distinguish between field work that involves dealing with people and field work that might involve only collecting botanical specimens or teamwork with fellow students? The point seems innocent enough — in its formulation and its expression — in one may refer to people of Africa as Africans without giving offense.
If I’m remembering correctly, an article in IHE said that the mother had volunteered to accompany her child, at her own expense, and that her offer was rejected.
It would have been helpful for greilly to first inquire as to what country or countries or even region rather than compounding the unfortunate choice in the article to refer to Africa as though it were a country. It would have been nice had greilly been sensitive to the issue (Psst, hey, y’all, it’s an issue! Really. Japan and China are near to each other – are they the same?). This is more important when the statement occurs in the context the overwrought handwringing about death and disease. I know with all my heart the greilly meant no offense but, really, I’m tired of being lumped into a seething mass. Take this conversation – with a college graduate, post 2002 – for instance (true story): “Where are you from?”"South Africa.”"No, what country are you from?”"South Africa.”"But South Africa is a region in Africa.”"No, I come from South Africa. You know, Nelson Mandela?”"Nelson Mandela is the president of Africa.”"No, Nelson Mandela is the president of South Africa. Africa is not a country.”"Wow. I never knew that. Do you have cars over there?”"Yes.”"And roads? How would you have roads in the jungle?”"Our cars are special. They jump from tree to tree.”"Ohhh.”We’re supposed to be academics. But then, I really couldn’t blame this very sincere person after reading a 1960s edition of the Golden Books story, “Tantor the African Elephant” which opens with the grand line, “Africa is a big, big country.” So, you see, I understand. Educationally, you’re messed-up from the get-go. It’s not your fault.
After some thought, I take it back. I have been counselled numerous times by people much wiser than I that conversations like these are just vexatious, totally unhelpful, meaningless, and change nothing. And, in truth, so it is. I have accomplished nothing more than giving myself a headache. So I take it all back. Forget I said anything.
Americans who think Africa is a country should have to eat an ice cream dish full of wasabi. Most of these people also get mad when someone thinks they’re from a different part of L.A. than they are. C’mon
This is the proverbial problem with accelerated education. What exactly do you do with them outside a simple class situation. We once had a HOS who was a great fan of accelerating bright students. At a board meeting I asked the following stupid questions: (a) what can you do with a 14 year old PhD student in molecular biology if they need to use radioactivity for an experiment? They cannot even enter your laboratory, let alone handle 32-P. (b) Would you or could you appoint a 15 year old to a tenure-track position? No satisfactory answer to either question.A colleague of mine was publishing work with her father when she was less than 15 but that was many years ago when occupational health and safety was not so intrusive and he did not work with radioisotopes. No-one would be allowed to have their 12-16 year old son or daughter working with him in the lab today. If you do not believe me try and get permission. As for field work – it is getting to the point where field work is impossible to conduct for undergraduates. Many biologists have given up trying.
Glassdarkly, you believe all people with adult brains are capable and mature? Have you never met any immature adults? I sure have. Among many adults I know (in my own age group, 40s and 50s), I routinely see counterproductive emotional outbursts, irrational decisions, leaps to judgment, reckless and risky behavior, and general impulsivity — traits that are supposed to be “childish.” If so many older folks have these “childish” traits, is it so unbelievable that a few young peope might actually demonstrate maturity?Once, people had at least a chance to be judged by their ability and behavior, not the number of times they’d seen the sun rise. Once, in my parents’ day, the stories of Ragged Dick and the promise of America didn’t seem entirely far-fetched. The kids who were sequestered and educated and protected were mainly the wealthiest, so the chance of getting an early start using one’s talents helped to level the playing field for the poor, a bit.Now we restrict even 18-to-20-year-olds so that their adulthood is in question, forcing them into the role of child, and then passing judgment on their enforced immaturity. Every champion of young people, nowadays, is thinking up more ways to regulate their spending, their work, their games, their decisions — every aspect of their lives — for longer and longer. While poor kids, wasting their time in the poorest schools and facing daily risks in dangerous neighborhoods, must sit helpless as their families’ finances deteriorate. Even if they have ability and motivation and drive, they now have no options.I have not met Colin Carlson, nor have any of you, so I maintain that we are not equipped to pass judgment on his maturity. If his teachers believe he is emotionally unready or unfit to do field work, or to travel with fellow students and instructors (in other words, accompanied!), then let them state that reason for denying him — not his age.