FARGO, N.D. - A student with cerebral palsy has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after she was denied admission into the pharmacy program at North Dakota State University.
Kelli Sem was given conditional acceptance into the program last spring, provided she could meet physical requirements under newly adopted technical standards for pharmacy students. She filed her complaint after NDSU denied her request for reasonable accommodations.
Citing email discussion from the NDSU pharmacy program, Sem's attorney Scott Haider says NDSU adopted the new physical standards for admission after pharmacy faculty learned Sem would seek entrance into the program.
NDSU has declined to comment.
Sem now lives with her family in Minot after leaving NDSU in May. She is currently taking classes at Minot State University.