VIDEO: Woman claims school acted unjustly

Meadville Tribune

May 09, 2008 01:28 pm

— Click image for video


You must have Quicktime installed to view this video


By Keith Gushard
Meadville Tribune
Lorrayne Bickel of Guys Mills doesn’t mind studying for business degrees at Laurel Technical Institute of Meadville — she just doesn’t want to have to do it inside her van.
Bickel, 50, says she was asked to leave classrooms this week over concerns of lymphedema in her legs; the condition causes fluid to build up, and on occasion drain out of her legs.
Bickel said her legs have drained fluid at the business school since she started there last September, but she was asked to leave following a drainage incident in a classroom this week.
“They knew about it before I started (classes) last fall,” Bickel said of her medical condition. “(If it was problem) they should have said something long before now. It’s seven and a half months before they said a word about my legs.”
Nancy Decker, Laurel’s president, said the school is working with Bickel to try to resolve the issue.
Bickel, who is paying $2,500 a semester, said she’s now forced to do her studies for degrees in business administration and office administration inside her van in the parking lot outside Laurel’s classrooms at the Meadville Industrial Condominium on Pine Street.
Bickel said her doctors have told her she’s not infectious, but she said the school wants a doctor’s clearance in writing before allowing her back in the classroom.
Her physician, Dr. Curt Halgert, is out of town until May 19, Bickel said, and she couldn’t get an appointment with him until May 29.
Bickel said she was asked to leave the school around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday via a telephone call from Decker after an incident earlier in the week when fluid had drained onto the floor of a classroom.
She initially met with administrators Tuesday night about the situation. According to Bickel, it was agreed she could return Wednesday and could continue to go to class on a day-to-day basis. But then Bickel got the call from Decker on Wednesday morning following her first class of the day, telling her to leave the building.
Bickel said she was told other students were complaining that she might be infectious.
Bickel offered to study in the library away from other students. She said she also offered to put absorbent pads on the floor and remove them if there was a problem, but wasn’t allowed.
Bickel doesn’t know what she’ll do about upcoming exams. She can’t do course working in computer accounting until she gets back in the building because she doesn’t have access to a computer other than at the school.
Contacted by the Tribune, Decker said she couldn’t say much about the case, citing student privacy issues, and wouldn’t comment about any complaints.
“We are working with Lorrayne,” Decker said. “She’s not been terminated. We have asked her to follow through on things we need. Hopefully, she’s able to do that. We want to safeguard her health and safety. We need to consider everybody’s (health and safety).”
Bickel said she’s contacted an attorney about the matter, but nothing has been filed as yet.

Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.


Lymphedema is a swelling that is caused by an abnormal collection of lymph fluid in the affected region of tissue, according to Children’s Hospital Boston. Lymph fluid is an essential component of the body’s lymphoid system, which is key to the body’s defense against infection. The swelling caused by lymphedema occurs most often in arms and legs but can occur in other parts of the body.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.