City Of Detroit Settles Case After Mom Barred From Taking Autistic Son Into Women's Locker Room At Rec Center
DETROIT (WWJ) - The U.S. Attorney's Office has reached a settlement with the city of Detroit over claims that the Adams Butzel Recreation Center violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A member who brought the allegations wasn't allowed to take her 5-year-old autistic son, who needed help with his bathing suit, into the women's locker room. The center bans children older than 18 months from being in locker rooms designated for the opposite sex.
"The Center denied her request, instead suggesting that she bring a male relative with her to help the child change, allow a male staff member to assist her child in the men's locker room or visit another club," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. "None of the suggested options were acceptable to the mother, who wanted to be able to assist her own child at the recreation center closest to her home."
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that public recreation centers make reasonable modifications in their policies for individuals with disabilities. Under the settlement, the city will adopt a new policy requiring reasonable modifications to the Center's locker room policies for children with disabilities.
The modifications include allowing children accompanied by an adult member of the opposite sex to change in a curtained area in the locker room designated for members of the adult's sex, or allowing both the child and the adult to use the lifeguards' locker room. The new policy will be posted at the Adams Butzel Recreation Center, and staff will receive training on the new policy and their obligations under the ADA. The city will also refund the dues and fees that the complainant paid to the center.
"Parents of children with disabilities work hard to make sure that their children have the same opportunities for recreation as children without disabilities. Our office is committed to supporting these families by working with them to bring down barriers that may be in their children's way," U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement.