Wheelchair student left inside school during fire alarm
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By KERRY DREW, @KerryDrewFox5
NEW YORK (MYFOXNY) -
Jennifer Feltenstein says she was in math class when the fire alarm went off last month at New Rochelle High School. She says she watched as fellow students were taken outside.
Jennifer, who has cerebral palsy and uses a motorized wheelchair, was left on the third floor with an aide and a security guard for 20 minutes while firefighters checked out some smoking wires in the building.
Jennifer's father, Rich, says he is disappointed about the way the school handled the situation. He is also upset that Jennifer was left on the third floor, which has no wheelchair access to the street.
He says he was told that the school's policy during a fire drill is to designate safe holding rooms for special needs students. He says the fire department called for that policy. Yet he says Jennifer should have been taken outside.
The U.S. Department of Justice is currently looking into the matter to determine whether Jennifer was treated fairly.
Fox 5 reached out to the school for an interview. A spokesperson says the school has no comment.
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