Professor Ranee Panjabi allegedly refused to wear a sound-transmitting device necessary to accommodate a student’s hearing impairment last week. William Sears, a third-year history major at Memorial University, is considering filing a human rights complaint as a result of the professor’s refusal.
Panjabi alleged that wearing the device would go against her faith. Sears told the National Post that Panjabi could choose whether or not to wear the device, whereas he cannot change the fact that he is hard of hearing. According to Sears, this is the first time he has encountered an instructor who has refused to accommodate his disability.
Memorial University said in a statement that the case is difficult because of conflicting individual rights.
This is not the first time that Panjabi has received a complaint like this; a student filed a similar concern in 1996.
With files from the National Post
