CHICAGO – December 10, 2014 – Today, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral argument in a case brought on behalf of Megan Runnion, a 15 year-old deaf girl who was denied American Sign Language interpreters at Girl Scout meetings. Equip for Equality filed the case, in conjunction with the National Association of the Deaf and the pro bono law firm Much Shelist, against the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana seeking to secure an American Sign Language interpreter for meetings of her Girl Scout troop. The lawsuit, brought under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois in 2012. The trial court dismissed the case finding that the Girl Scouts was not covered by the Rehabilitation Act. Much Shelist Attorney Steve F. Blonder is handling the oral argument. The United States Department of Justice, which interprets and enforces the Rehabilitation Act, filed a brief in support of Equip for Equality’s position.
Megan joined Girl Scouts when she was in kindergarten. For six years, she was provided with a sign language interpreter by Girl Scouts for troop meetings and outings. But in 2011, when Megan’s mother renewed the request for the interpreter, the Girl Scouts denied her request. Rather than providing the requested interpreter services, Megan’s troop was disbanded.
Below are links to relevant court documents:
