Connecticut
Student who says she is illiterate — despite graduating with honors — sues Connecticut school district
A Connecticut honors student is suing her school district, saying she is illiterate.
Despite graduating from Hartford Public High School in June with honors and getting a scholarship to the University of Connecticut, Aleysha Ortiz is claiming she cannot read or write.
The 19-year-old, who spent 12 years in the Hartford public school district, testified at a May city council meeting, explaining her unique situation and how the educational system failed her.
“I decided, they [the school] had 12 years,” Ortiz, a native of Puerto Rico, told CNN. “Now it’s my time.”
Ortiz is suing the Hartford Board of Education, the City of Hartford and her special education case manager, Tilda Santiago, for negligence.
According to her lawsuit, she began having problems with “letter, sound and number recognition” as early as first grade, and because those issues were not addressed, she began acting out in school.
“I was the bad child,” she told the outlet.
When she was in 6th grade, she was reading at a mere kindergarten or first-grade level, Ortiz alleges.
When Ortiz was a sophomore at Hartford Public High School, Santiago was assigned as her special education teacher and case manager.
Santiago bullied, harassed and stalked Ortiz, and was later removed from the role, the suit claims.
Although she hardly speaks English, Ortiz’s mother, Carmen Cruz, did her best to advocate for her daughter, speaking to the principal and other school officials.
“I didn’t know English very well, I didn’t know the rules of the schools,” she told the outlet.
“There were a lot of things that they would tell me, and I let myself go by what the teachers would
tell me because I didn’t understand anything.”
By the 11th grade, Ortiz began taking matters into her own hands and started speaking up for herself, which led her teachers to suggest she get tested for dyslexia.
Just one month before graduation, she began receiving the testing, which was not completed until the last day of high school, the lawsuit states.
The testing concluded that Ortiz was in fact dyslexic and “required explicitly taught phonics, fluency and reading comprehension.”
School district officials told Ortiz she could defer accepting her diploma and receive intensive services, she alleges.
“While Hartford Public Schools cannot comment on pending litigation, we remain deeply committed to meeting the full range of needs our students bring with them when they enter our schools —
and helping them reach their full potential,” Hartford Public Schools said in a statement to CNN.
Ortiz, who dreams of becoming a writer, is currently attending the University Connecticut as a full-time student, although she hasn’t been to classes since Feb. 1 in order to get mental health treatment.
To complete her college assignments, she is relying on apps that translate text to speech and speech to text, as she did in high school.
The apps gave “me a voice that I never thought I had,” she said.
A hit HBO documentary series is looking to Connecticut for stories to feature in its second season.
The show “Neighbors” follows on-going neighbor disputes across the country. The goal of the show is to help neighbors reach a resolution, according to the show’s casting director and executive producer Harleigh Shaw.
“Each story we explore, we spend extensive time with neighbors on both sides to really understand the full context beyond the disputes,” Shaw said.
Producers wanted to share stories in the second season that were based in states that weren’t featured earlier this year in the first season, including Connecticut, Shaw said.
“A lot of the things that we’re most interested in are things that may seem small, but become a bigger issue between the neighbors,” Shaw said. “Anything from disagreements over gardening practices to property lines to noise to dock issues, if it’s a waterfront property. A whole myriad of things. We’re really open to anything.”
However, the show does avoid situations that are violent or dangerous.
Residents from Connecticut looking to participate should be open to third party conflict resolution, according to Shaw.
“Some of the ways that we did that were through mediation,” Shaw said. “That’s a huge one. But there are other things in terms of resources we’d be open to help the neighbors to like help work through the issues.”
Filming will take place throughout the summer and is expected to be completed by the end of September.
The show’s production team is located in New York City and Los Angeles.
“Connecticut has always been really interesting because it’s just a short trip away, and we’re just curious to explore the types of neighbor dynamics that are going on there,” Shaw said.
Connecticut residents who are interested in being on “Neighbors,” can apply at helloneighbortv.com and are encouraged to submit information about themselves as well as their neighbor dispute.
“The neighbor disputes are the entry point for this show, but we’re always also just very interested in inspiring amazing people doing cool stuff,” Shaw said.
“Neighbors” premiered in February and was quickly renewed. The show averages about 3 million viewers per episode.
The show features stories that make viewers laugh and cringe, according to HBO Programming’s Executive Vice President Nina Rosenstein.
“At a time when even the smallest disagreements can spiral out of control, ‘Neighbors’ feels both hilariously absurd and surprisingly relatable,” Rosenstein said. “What makes the show special isn’t just the stories and people they find, but the empathy and humanity they bring to each episode.”
DANBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Danbury drivers can expect hours-long closures on Sugar Hollow Road early Monday morning after a “serious” crash, according to local police.
Police said the morning crash has caused closures in both directions at the Ridgefield Line (Bennetts Farm Road) and at Miry Brook Road.
The road is expected to close for approximately three to four hours, police said.
Drivers are asked to seek alternate routes, including George Washington Highway and Route 53.
There are no words on injuries.
Additional information was not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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ROCKY HILL, Conn. (WFSB) – People like Dena Pizzoferrato are changing what they put in their grocery carts after hearing about a cyclosporiasis outbreak.
“I’m kind of a little nervous so I’m looking to see what I buy right now,” Pizzoferrato said. “Today I didn’t buy any lettuce. I said I’m OK for now.”
Doctors say the illness is spread through parasites that make their way onto fresh produce. There have been 23 reported cases in Connecticut since May, but the CDC says the number is likely higher. Across the country, more than 840 cases and 86 hospitalizations have been reported in 31 states.
Symptoms include diarrhea and nausea that can last days to weeks. Doctors have not identified a source for the outbreak.
Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare, said a range of produce could be contaminated.
“Typical things you would think are vegetables or fruits. In the past, it’s been raspberries, basil, cilantro. You may find it in lettuces, bagged salads. So it’s a variety of things that can be contaminated, but they have not found it at this time,” said Wu.
Wu said residents should take precautions with their produce. “Take precautions with your fruit and your produce. We give the same advice when people go overseas that you should always peel something. You should always boil something,” he said.
Doctors also recommend washing produce thoroughly if boiling is not an option, and washing hands regularly.
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