Alabama student faces potential truancy charges after missing school for high-risk pregnancy
By Zoe Blair
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ANNISTON, Alabama (WVTM) — An Anniston High School student is facing punishment and possible truancy charges after missing school due to a high-risk pregnancy, despite having doctor’s notes to excuse her absences.
Arinthia Brown, the mother of the student, A’miracle, has a folder full of doctors’ notes excusing her daughter’s absences over the past couple of months as she recovered from her pregnancy. However, the school has marked those days as unexcused.
“I have all the doctor’s notes. Everything that I can tell you I’m having a problem with, I have it here in black and white,” Brown said.
A’miracle, Brown’s 16-year-old daughter, was put on bed rest on Jan. 6 and did not return to school until this week. Brown has doctor’s notes for every day A’miracle missed, but the school has refused to accept them.
“They wouldn’t accept this one, she wrote a note on this one saying she couldn’t accept it and that’s why I say when you go to the office and talk to them about the attendance, that’s the first thing they’ll tell you, ‘well I don’t have a doctor’s note for that, you have to go get one,'” Brown said.
Brown is confused about why the excuses are being rejected, stating, “Alabama state law says they have to have a necessary reason to be out of school. Her at her doctor’s appointments is a necessary reason.”
Attempts to get answers from the Anniston City Schools Board of Education led to Anniston High School Principal Phillip Posey, who said he could not discuss student matters but emphasized that the school follows the established code of conduct for attendance policies. This code outlines what constitutes an excused absence, emphasizing the need for a doctor’s note, which Brown insists her notes meet.
“It has a signature on here which says that you logged her as excused, but if you look at her record it says unexcused absence,” Brown said.
Brown is concerned about the impact on her daughter’s future, saying, “That’s not going to look good. If you’re going to try to get a job and your records say that you missed this many days, I’m not going to be eager to hire you for my job.”
Brown hopes the issue can be resolved so A’miracle can focus on attending school, being a good mother and graduating.
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