School Officials Ban Girl With AIDS Virus

Officials in Portage, Mich., have banned a 9-year-old girl with the AIDS virus from attending school, citing safety concerns, but the girl’s mother says the ban is a case of discrimination. The mother, who asked that her name not be used, said she was informed by a district official that her daughter could not report to Woodland Elementary School. Citing confidentiality concerns, Supt. James Rikkers would not discuss the case, but said district policy allows a child with a communicable disease to be temporarily excluded from school until a panel can determine whether the student is a risk to others. But the mother is refusing to give the district access to the girl’s doctor.