BY MARK SKERTIC
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The University of Cincinnati did not violate the civil rights of a student with learning disabilities, a federal investigation has determined.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has determined that "the weight of the evidence does not support the complainant's allegations that he was discriminated against or retaliated against based on his disability."
Richard M. Stercz, 39, a UC senior and communication's major, said he plans to appeal. In April and November 1997 he filed complaints against the university because he said UC had violated federal discrimination laws.
Mr. Stercz's complaints included allegations UC failed to relocate his classes to a quiet area away from construction noise, failed to provide a note-taker in a timely manner and didn't notify all his instructors of his special needs.
The federal inquiry was flawed because the investigator did not do a thorough job questioning other students or examining evidence, Mr. Stercz said. "They were in a position, being students, where they couldn't say things unless asked," he said. "They were never asked."
But the Department of Education's findings said that a visit to UC and examinations of documents showed no discrimination. The university was accommodating and operated within federal guidelines, investigators said.
