'As a parent, I find it unconscionable that information about my child could be denied or withheld because of the language I speak,' said Amy Leipziger, a senior staff attorney at Legal Services NYC.
A group of Spanish and Chinese-speaking families have launched a lawsuit against New York City's Department of Education in the Eastern District of New York after allegedly being refused translation services and told to"learn English" instead.
The parent also described another occasion, in which her daughter had come home with bite marks on her body. When Liu made a written request for an explanation from her daughter's school, she received a phone call in English, which she was again unable to understand. The 8-year-old, identified as"A.C." had been"the victim of repeated and persistent bullying" at their former school and"on at least four to five occasions…came home from school with open wounds and/or bruises on his face, back, arms and/or legs," the lawsuit states.
Additionally, the mother was never informed of her right to ask for a written report or investigation into the incidents or advised as to what safety measures, if any, could be taken to help her child. "In this case, the DOE repeatedly denied [Limited English Proficient] parents critical information about their children's health, well-being, and education by refusing to provide interpreters and translation services, causing the parents unnecessary fear and anxiety and resulting in a denial of services and support for their children," Leipziger said.
In a statement responding to the lawsuit, New York State Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz said she was"horrified to learn that the NYC DOE has repeatedly denied interpretation and translation services to parents in this City."
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