Stephen Fruchtman, a playwright graduate student at the Actors Studio Drama School (ASDS) at Pace University, has been attending school virtually since January 2022 due to the intensity of the spread of the COVID outbreak. They are disabled and immunocompromised (and so is their wife), and if they were infected with COVID-19 it could be deadly and/or seriously destructive to their (and their partner's) health. However, Pace University leadership, led by Dean Charlotte Becket and overseen by Dean Tresmaine Grimes and Provost Joseph R. Franco, is refusing to allow Stephen to continue their virtual education in the spring semester of 2023. The school is insisting that Stephen must attend in person, or drop out. 

Stephen submitted an application for medical accommodation to Student Accessibility Services, and an appeal, and both were denied, even though Stephen has multiple health concerns that are severely exacerbated by COVID-19 (SAS claims to be ADA-compliant, though the ADA has long been critiqued by the disabled community for being insufficient). In the case of denial by SAS, it is the decision of the school dean to decide whether or not to allow the student in question to continue their education virtually.  

Following SAS’s decision, Stephen was offered the opportunity to receive individual approval from their professors in continuing their virtual education, but Dean Becket chose to override this. Dean Becket and the Pace leadership have given Stephen an ultimatum: attend in person, or they cannot continue with the program, even though this decision may be devastating to their health and life.

Stephen is halfway through their graduate program, having spent the past year and a half putting their heart and soul into their degree. However, due to the potentially fatal outcome of attending school in person, Stephen will not be able to continue their graduate education–if the Pace leadership has their way. 

The Provost, Dean's Office, Legal Department, SAS and faculty of ASDS were all involved in the decision to have Stephen continue their education virtually but ASDS failed to let Stephen know this information sooner. ASDS was aware of this situation from the beginning but did not warn Stephen about the possibility of being forced to drop out until recently.

This is one instance of many in which ASDS has failed to be transparent and provide students with essential information in an appropriate and timely manner. There have been many instances where the student body has brought up potential changes that need to happen to make the program a safer, more accessible and more diverse environment; these requests for changes have either been answered with unfulfilled promises, or ignored entirely.

Certain Pace faculty have also argued that the pandemic is no longer a threatening concern. However, infections are currently on the rise in America, and in the past year, over half of our cohort of 24 has been infected with COVID-19. The latest case of this was in the last week of November, with a playwright student testing positive and systematic on 11/25/2022; this student suffered strong symptoms. The ASDS playwright major is only made up of four students, including Stephen, and the classes are taught in very close quarters. 

ASDS has consistently proved to be irresponsible and unsafe regarding COVID-19. In the fall semester of 2022, an administrator came into orientation while COVID-positive because of understaffing. In another instance, in the spring semester of 2022, a workshop class of first-years were exposed to a lecturer who tested COVID-positive the next day; there was a following workshop class six days later, and an administrator pressured students to come in person after the students had been exposed.

The same administrator previously informed students that if they were exposed, it was mandatory to stay home to prevent putting other students at risk. When students have mentioned how uncomfortable they were coming into class after being exposed, the department refused to be understanding and sympathetic towards the situation. This demonstrates how the students at ASDS do not feel safe, heard or respected in regards to their health. Pace University continues to act carelessly and unprofessionally when it comes to students’ concerns and students’ physical health.

Stephen is a ray of sunshine in our program. Their creativity and their unconditional support of every student has brought a strong sense of community to our program. They have made an undeniable mark on their cohort and professors, uniting us and inspiring us with their warmth, their kindness and their brilliance every day. Stephen is a talented and intelligent human being, and their contribution and presence is not only needed within the playwriting community, but at ASDS and Pace University as a whole.

The actions taken against Stephen are highly ableist, reflecting a lack of concern for immunocompromised and disabled individuals by Pace leadership, in particular by Dean Becket and the Actor’s Studio Drama School. Dean Becket and ASDS leadership’s refusal to protect the health and safety of one of their students is unacceptable and does not reflect well upon Pace University being a school that gives all students the opportunity to an equal education–not just able-bodied students.

Dean Becket, we ask that you do the right thing: allow a disabled and well-loved graduate student to continue their arts education in a safe and non-life threatening way. Refusing a student an education due to their disability and not providing accommodation to disabled and immunocompromised individuals is discriminatory and unjust. No one should be stopped from pursuing their academic achievements.

Please sign our petition in support of Dean Becket and the other Pace University leadership allowing our beloved classmate the opportunity to continue their graduate education!