David Lopez is a 44-year-old former student of Wayne State University who wanted to become a gym teacher. He has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the university for $1 million, claiming that he was denied the opportunity to complete his student teaching requirement because of his weight and disabilities.
Lopez weighs over 400 pounds and has diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. He said that he fulfilled all the requirements of the physical education kinesiology program except for the student teaching, which he requested to do virtually due to his medical conditions.
400 pound David Lopez can barely walk, has hypertension and is diabetic. But, he is suing Wayne State University for $1M after not being admitted into the education program to “pursue his dream of being a P.E. teacher.” Furthermore, he supplied a doctor’s letter recommending that… pic.twitter.com/GwqR6mp9xJ
— SULLY🇺🇸 (@SULLY10X) January 3, 2024However, Wayne State University refused to accommodate his request, saying that he had to do his student teaching in person, according to the district’s rules. David Lopez said that the university discriminated against him because of his weight and did not think he fit the description of a gym teacher.
“They don’t think I fit the description of what a PE teacher was because I’m very overweight,” Lopez said. “They didn’t want me to graduate with my certification because I didn’t fit what they perceived to be a gym teacher because of my size and because of my weight. There’s no doubt that was the reason why. There was no other reason. I passed everything.”
David said that he could still be a good teacher even if he could not physically participate in some of the sports and activities. He said that he had the knowledge and the passion to teach students about health and fitness.
“All I’d asked for was accommodations, virtual or through physical accommodations inside a classroom,” Lopez said. “The school I was at was willing to give me a virtual setting, but Wayne State was not.”
Lopez said that he was left with no degree, no certification, and no way to earn a living. He said that suing the school was his last option and that he did not want to do it, but he had no choice.
“It got to the point where I had no other choice left,” Lopez said. “I left with no degree, no certification, no nothing. Suing the school was my last option. I didn’t want to do it, but I’m doing it because I have nothing, and I have no way to earn a living now because they took away my opportunity to get a degree. All I asked for was a reasonable accommodation.”
Wayne State University, on the other hand, said that there is no legal claim for weight discrimination against an educational institution. The university also said that it did not control the student teaching requirements of the districts. The university called Lopez’s lawsuit “frivolous” and asked that it be dismissed.
A spokesperson for the university did not respond for comment.
David Lopez’s case has sparked a debate on social media, with some people supporting him and others criticizing him. Some people said that he should have chosen a different career path or worked on his health issues. Others said that he deserved a chance to pursue his dream and that the university was unfair and insensitive.
Weight discrimination is a serious issue that affects many people in different settings, such as employment, education, health care, and media. According to the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, weight discrimination is more prevalent than gender or race discrimination and has negative impacts on people’s physical and mental health.
Weight discrimination is illegal in some states, such as Michigan, where David Lopez filed his lawsuit. However, the law only applies to employers, not to educational institutions. There is no federal law that protects people from weight discrimination.
Lopez’s lawsuit is still pending in court and it is unclear how it will be resolved. However, his story has raised awareness and attention to the issue of weight discrimination and the challenges that people face because of their size.
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