Dixon Road Elementary made a small special accomodation for Jake Dawson, a  7 year-old with Aspergers syndrome and ADHD - they let his parents walk him into school. Normally, the school has parents drop kids off in front of the school doors for security reasons, but Jake's intense separtion anxiety - screaming, crying, even vomiting - prompted his teacher to ask for an exception. 

And it helped. Jake did much better. But now the principal has changed her mind, and Jake's parents are outraged.

Why did she change her mind? Other parents complained. They didn't like that the Dawsons were getting "special treatment." So Principal Dawn Alligood changed her mind and told the family they couldn't walk their son to class.

Jake's parents, Christy and Kenneth Dawson, were outraged. They took Jake out of Dixon immediately.

"Where has the compassion gone?" asked Christy Dawson. "Something as simple as walking through a door and getting my child where he needs to be can alleviate so much for him, and they deny him that? I think that's very sad."

Special needs students are called "special needs" for a reason. They have needs that other students don't. It's a simple request, really. The Dawsons didn't ask for any special equipment or teachers be brought in. They didn't ask that they be allowed to attend class with Jake. They just asked for a small accommodation to make their son's day better.

Tell Johnston County Schools and Dixon Road Elementary Principal Dawn Alligood to make an exception for special needs student Jake Dawson and allow his parents to walk him into school. Sign our petition today!

Photo credit: Conspirator Design