It all began when a student applied for a position for the Associated Student Body (ASB), Many other students applied, but none made through due to not being qualified. I, Sheena, was one of them. I applied to be a part of ASB in hopes of becoming the first deaf representative ever at Burbank High. Little did I knew, that passion of mine would be shattered.
Outside of ASB’s classroom, I waited to get more information from Mrs. Miller on why not even one was selected. She came out and was very open about the reasons why. During our conversation, I asked if there was something I could improve on. She expressed that I would have gotten the position, but because of my inability to speak on the microphone… The bell rang saving Mrs. Miller from more confessions.
Stunned by her response…Was this a nightmare? No I kept telling myself. Before I knew it, I was in a classroom expressing what had occurred to me to my favorite interpreter. As soon the class was over, my interpreter ran to Mrs. Miller’s room to confirm the facts. Sure enough, I was right after all.
The next thing I found myself doing was setting a meeting with the principal to address the discrimination before my eyes. This being the first time I had experienced blatant discrimination, I paged my parents to keep me sane. They reassured me by saying that I did the right thing.
You think the meeting helped one bit? This is what the principal of Burbank High said to me,
“It’s like if a person in a wheelchair tried out for a basketball team, of course he wouldn’t make the team.”
Mrs. DeeRoos was just like Mrs. Miller. As you can tell, my hope was completely gone. As a last resort, I sought support from the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) specialist. In a heart beat, the D/HH specialist joined the forces with me.
While we two were trying to gather as much information, a lot has happened. I was:
- pulled out of my class by Mrs. Miller to change the story.
- falsely accused for flipping the bird to the entire ASB.
- banned from using my own interpreters as my witnesses due to code of ethics.
- shocked to learn that Mrs. Miller changed the qualifications on the application form (Hint: Something to do with the microphone).
On my birthday was when everyone – Mrs. Miller, my parents, the D/HH specialist, Vice Principal, and an ASL interpreter – was under the same roof for a meeting to review what happened. Boy, the meeting was on fire! No need to disclose the details here, but Mrs. Miller walked out with a warning from Burbank Unified School District. There are so many laws protecting our dear teachers. When it comes to a student like me who was harmed in the process, there is NOT ONE single thing that protects me.
“Your words against the teacher,” echoed each time I asked why.
After a long, grueling and tiresome journey, I was able to find myself again.
Fast forward to 10 years later…only if I had the wealth of knowledge, more Deaf role models, and resources back then, a case would have been possible. To this day, I regretted I never did more with the discrimination that I experienced from Mrs. Miller. You got lucky, but there’s such a thing as Karma. And there is no stopping me from sharing my story.
24 Responses to Discrimination at Burbank High
Yael Herman September 10, 2012
I can relate with this story it did happened to me in my senior years was very involved with the speech team , my was a theatre , I was winning most thanks to the couch believed in me and my teachers and two of my Interepeters as my voice until I was into the finals the finals! Everyone said I was hard to beat u til this little old lady happened to be a judge took a look and asked me to leave the room without me performing I was shocked and puzzled. My Interepeters went into the room and explain to the lady how it works . My Interepeters Ann came out telling me that it is not right to the rules that I use the I greeter voice not mine duh I am deaf so I went find my couch and told him what happened oh my gosh he sure was pissed then they called my parents to come to school while the speech finals was happening. I was heartbroken and sad actually more of angry because I worked so hard to win the. All for nothing. The school board and another schools heard about did I not know that the lady was fired at next season when I was I. College and I found there was four deaf kids followed my steps so that was 14 years ago . I broke the barriers!
Sheena September 10, 2012
I am glad she was fired unlike Mrs. Miller. There were just too many people on her side. She was a student at BHS as well as a teacher. So, I was unlucky in that situation. To this day, she is still touching the grounds of Burbank High when she should have been first 10 years ago. Kudos to your school board.
Moi September 10, 2012
Really too bad that this happened to you. Even after the ADA passed in 1990 (22 years ago), we still are facing ignorant people… even today! One would think with the advanced technology and exposure to variety of people, the level of knowledge and understanding has raised — not so true. We all have to continue to educate… sigh.
Sheena September 10, 2012
It does not matter when or what law has been passed…there are ignorant people who just do not learn. In my case, it had to be a teacher and principal. Being a mom to a Deaf daughter, I realized that educating others is a lifelong responsibility of mine. Here we go!
LaurenBeth September 11, 2012
I remember the day all of this happened. My eyes almost couldn’t keep up you were so upset, you were SO fast and absolutely furious. You stood up for yourself Sheena and have ever since I’ve known you. It’s one of the qualities I love most about you. You may not have made ASB that year but you have continually inspired many many people. I was so proud of you then so young and so strong And now you are even stronger!! I love it!! Keep these wonderful blogs coming !!! Xoxo
Sheena September 13, 2012
Stories like these today gets the best of me. Those who are skilled and wanted to offer their talents to a team, an organization, or something of a similar nature gets rejected simply because they cannot hear. Our hearing loss does not define nor limit us, and certainly does not mean we are useless or less of a person. Your story is one fine example. You had to work your ass off to get to where you wanted to be. Be it tears, confrontations with the team, and longer practices… You are the better person. Glad the new coach gave you a chance to prove yourself. You put yourself out there and bam, the world shut up. :0) You go girl!
Sheena September 12, 2012
Glad you were given that golden opportunity. When you have the skills, the world deserves to see that. It was simply not my time at that point.
Nancy September 12, 2012
I can relate to you but I didn’t do anything at that time because I wasnt well exposed to deaf rights and how do I manage a situation I was in.
I made it on varisty tennis team in my sophomore and played doubles with my partner. Played for doubles was not easy than I thought because it required comunication between us. I could not focus on the ball and my partner in case if she tells me to get the ball at once, because I couldnt hear so I relied on my eyes more. No matter how hard I practiced, it was still so hard for me. I felt that my coach made me feel it was mostly my fault than my partner. I knew playing tennis as a single is what Im best at because it’s easier and can able to focus on my games. By the end of the semester, I told my coach that being on double team was not for me at all and explained why. I felt good that I spoke up for myself for the first time.
In my junior year at Granada hills high school, I discovered that my coach pulled me down to JV. I was so confused and hurt. My coach granted a senior girl a single situation, even though I played better than her.
So, I confronted my coach along with my interpreter how I felt in front of a team. What he said that shocked me is that he was tired of 3 way communication. I thought, was it all because of that? I couldnt think but cried so hard. It was the very first time anyone wouldn’t give me a chance just because im deaf.
My whole team felt so bad for me but couldnt do anything about it since my coach already made up his mind. My team never like him anyway as they said. I felt bit offended that the only time I played for varisty against the weakest schools such as chatsworth high, birmingham high, etc. I finished the sets within 20 minutes easily.
it made realize a lot as a deaf person. The deaf students at my high school looked up to me and were proud of me for representing our school. I couldnt let them and myself down so I excerised and practiced harder than ever till my senior year.
My coach retired. New coach came in. Besides him as a coach, he was social skills and history teacher. He had deaf students in his classes. He asked me one on one which position I want, a single player. All he simply said, ok then all you do is prove to me that you want to earn it. And I did. I got the position I wanted. Through the semester, I won 16 games and lost none. Before my team and I won city championship, I was the last person left playing the 3rd set and there were many people standing behind the fence watching me and the opponent playing. I spotted my old coach and that made me mad little. Thanks to him for brought out my last aderaline after still played more than two hours lol that helped me finished the set
I was the first deaf tennis player ever at my high school. It was overall a good experience.
Sorry for my long comment.
J. Duran September 17, 2012
As a counselor and a deaf individual, i can’t imagine anyone going through this ordeal. It’s simply not right. It’s simply inhuman. Everyone regardless of any disability should not be denied any opportunity, everyone should prove themselves the chance to be capable to do anything.
Today, as a counselor i face challenges with the higher system. I do what i can to provide the best for my students, to give them the best of what they deserve. When i come to face situations that prevents any positive outcome, it tells me that people are either ignorant, uneducated or have no emotion.
We as deaf individuals and allies of any person with disabilities need to speak up and fight for our people. Have compassion and educate the ignorant ones.