From the day it was filed, the Milton Hershey School case generated massive media coverage, sparking a firestorm of outrage and an onslaught of support.
Public Support:
An online petition [http://chn.ge/P5Qjs6] at the website Change.org gathered nearly 30,000 signatures demanding that the school issue a public apology.
In an emotional plea [http://huff.to/RL9BY1] headlined Shame on the Milton Hershey School!, the actress and social activist Mia Farrow wrote in the Huffington Post: “Abraham’s plight reminds me of the 1980s when Ryan White, a child with AIDS, was not allowed to attend school. It is remarkable that 30 years later, we are still dealing with the same ignorance and discriminatory practices.”
Protesters demonstrated outside the Hershey Co.’s flagship store in New York’s Times Square in March and outside a Hershey Co. stockholder meeting in May.
Senator Vincent J. Hughes, Pennsylvania Senate, declared his support, stating in part, “It is time that we turn the page on all forms of discrimination and remove admission impediments against all students, including those who are HIV positive”.
The Executive Director Speaks:
Watch AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania’s Executive Director, Ronda B. Goldfein, Esq., discuss the case.
- 4/23/12 (HLN) Dr. Drew On Call: School rejects HIV-positive student, Dr. Drew Reacts (video)
- 12/5/11 (CNN) Anderson Cooper 360: School’s HIV rejection legal? (video)
- 12/1/11 (EdgeOntheNet.com) Faces of AIDS 2012 (video) CLICK on ‘Ronda Goldfein’ in the left column and scroll to the bottom of the page in order to watch the video.
News Articles/ Videos:
Listed below is a selection of news articles and videos featuring the Hershey case.
- 12/13/12 (HIV Plus Mag) Milton Hershey School Pays for Discrimination
- 10/6/12 (AP) Milton Hershey School Backtracks, Decides To Accept HIV Student
- 9/13/12 (CBSNews.com) Hershey settles HIV suit with 14-year-old student denied school admission
- 9/12/12 (ABC27) Milton Hershey School settles HIV-discrimination lawsuit
- 8/7/12 (ABC News.com) Milton Hershey School has change of heart, offers spot to HIV-positive teen
- 8/7/12 (Philadelphia Inquirer) The Milton Hershey School apologizes to HIV-positive student
- 8/6/12 (International Business Times) Milton Hershey School Sweetens Up, Offers To Admit HIV-Positive Student
- 8/6/12 (NBCnews.com) Bioethicist: School makes right call in offering to admit HIV-positive student
- 7/19/12 (NPR) Private School Denies Admission To Teen With HIV
- 6/18/12 (Gay Voices) Wonky Policies And The Chocolate Factory: The Milton Hershey School Is Wrong On HIV
- 6/1/12 (AP) Judge won’t move school’s HIV discrimination case
- 4/15/12 (Chicago Tribune) AIDS activists protest over Milton Hershey School’s rejection of HIV-positive student
- 4/15/12 (LA Times) AIDS activists protest over Milton Hershey School’s rejection of HIV-positive student
- 2/13/12 (Philadelphia Tribune) AIDS Healthcare Advocates Rebuke Hershey
- 12/8/11 (Philadelphia Inquirer) Hershey School sued after rejecting HIV-positive teen
- 12/8/11 (Philadelphia Gay News) Hershey school sued for rejecting HIV positive boy
- 12/7/11 (CNN) Anderson Cooper 360: School says student with HIV is a threat (video)
- 12/5/11 (CNN) Anderson Cooper 360: Ryan White’s Mother says Hershey School decision is ‘ridiculous’ (video)
- 12/2/11 (CNN.com) Student with HIV sues private residential school for denied admission
- 12/2/11 (CNN) Anderson Cooper 360: School Rejects HIV-positive Applicant (video)
- 12/02/11 (ABC News) HIV-positive student rejected from school (video)
- 12/02/11 (ABCNews.com) HIV-Positive Boy Talks of Being Denied Entry to Hershey School
- 12/1/11 (NYDailyNews.com) School rejects HIV-positive boy, says it was trying to protect other students
- 12/1/11 (Reuters) HIV positive boy denied admission sues Hershey school
- 11/30/11 (NBCPhiladelphia.com) Hershey School Turns Away Boy With HIV Philadelphia