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Flagpole protester resumes vigil
Wednesday, September 06, 2000 By Janice Crompton, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Saying that representatives of the McGuffey School District broke promises they made to her last week regarding the education of her disabled son, Deanna Lesneski last night again strapped herself to a flagpole at the Blaine-Buffalo Elementary School in western Washington County.
Facing temperatures expected to dip below 50 last night, Lesneski said she would weather the cold to protest the district's handling of a teacher for the deaf it promised last week to hire.
That pledge, among others, temporarily ended a five-day standoff that started Aug. 28 when Lesneski fastened herself to the pole. She said district officials had told her they would not administer medications this year to her son, 7-year-old Ryan "Max" Lesneski, who has Down syndrome, asthma and a hearing disability.
Lesneski, 47, of Buffalo, maintained the district mishandled her son's education by not providing him with a qualified sign-language interpreter and by refusing to administer his medications.
On Friday, officials told Lesneski they would hire a teacher with a master's degree in education of the deaf and other credentials, she said. District officials also promised to have a nurse available to administer medications to Max, she said. Ordinarily, one school nurse is responsible for traveling to five of the district schools daily.
Lesneski met yesterday morning with district officials to iron out details but left the school disappointed and angry after she said the teacher was instructed to "only observe" Max during class. During a gym class yesterday, she said, the teacher was standing in the back of the room while Max was having problems communicating with the teacher.
Lesneski said it was her understanding that the new teacher would be educating her son and communicating with him regularly.
Although the district employs teachers who know sign language, Lesneski has maintained they are not proficient and vowed last week she would not end her protest until the district provided a teacher fluent in sign language who could communicate with her son.
Acting Superintendent Frank Zito said yesterday that the teacher was hired to act as a mediator between Max and his teachers when communication questions arose. If Max had questions during class, the teacher could respond and otherwise help him communicate with teachers and other students, Zito said.
He said the teacher was hired for a 90-day probationary period at a rate of $70 per day and would receive a regular first-year teacher's salary thereafter. The school board, which will meet Monday, is expected to approve the hiring, he said. A nurse or other qualified person also will be on hand at the school to administer Max's medications, he said.
When she went to the school yesterday, Lesneski brought along the lawn chair and jump ropes she used to tie herself to the pole last week. While they served as a reminder leaning against the flagpole yesterday afternoon, Lesneski and district officials tried in vain to reach an agreement.
By last night, Lesneski -- surrounded by a mound of blankets, sleeping bags and her husband's hunting suit -- said she'd given up hope for a compromise anytime soon. Like last week, she was joined by protesters from Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living, a disability rights organization in Washington, Pa.
One of the group's members, Diane Ilgenfritz, an independent living supervisor, advocate for children with special needs and certified teacher, said members of the organization would be with Lesneski every day, staying in four-hour shifts.
"Dee's case is not unique -- it happens all the time. All parents do not know their rights," Ilgenfritz said. "I want people to know this could be your child and it could happen to you."
Lesneski said she plans to stay at the pole until she's satisfied that Max is receiving the education to which he is entitled.
"It's kind of like a test," she said. "How long will it take to do the right thing?"
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