An Ohio State University sophomore is suing her school after she was ordered to remove her service dog from the dorm in which she lives. Madeline Entine is suing the university under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The school told her she must move because her dog is affecting the allergies of other students.
Entine suffers with panic attacks that can be severe enough to interfere with her daily activities and cause her breathing problems. She lives in the Chi Omega sorority house on the Ohio State University campus, and it is one of her sorority sisters who has complained to the school about the dog causing the allergy problems.
Entine says that her certified dog, Cory, can sense when she is about to have a panic attack and is able to lessen the severity. He is trained to lay on her stomach during an attack, which calms her breathing. Service dogs are commonly used for people with epilepsy, diabetes and mental disorders.
The sorority sister who filed the complaint claims that the dog causes her allergies to be much worse, which in turn causes her Crohn’s disease to flare up. However, Entine says her panic attacks can leave her unable to walk when her muscles lock up.
A school official decided that both women are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but decided to let Goldman, the complainant, stay because she signed up for her room first. The university offered to move both students to different dorms, but both refused to move.
Entine filed a temporary restraining order against the university. A judge ruled that the dog be allowed to stay in the house while the issue is decided by the courts.
What do you think? Should Madeline Entine be allowed to keep her service dog and remain in the sorority house?
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