Chapter 22 - The settlement
Ashbourne and our family reached a civil settlement without admitting all allegations.
Financial component:
Replacement device costs.
Therapy and educational-support fund.
Attorney fees as negotiated.
Not life-changing money.
The structural terms mattered more.
Ashbourne agreed to:
End Conduct Diversion in its existing form.
Create written eligibility rules.
Require independent review after repeat incidents.
Automatically flag assistive-technology targeting for accessibility and harassment assessment.
Track repeat accused students across departments.
Annual external discipline-equity audit for three years.
Train faculty on AAC and communication disabilities.
Create emergency backup communication kits.
Report implementation to board committee.
Emma had one condition.
She typed:
DON’T NAME PROGRAM AFTER ME.
Agreed.
No Emma Bennett Inclusion Initiative.
No poster.
No inspirational branding.
May you like
She wanted school fixed.
Not herself turned into a slogan.
