Quebec City student wins court victory to bring service dog to school

Quebec City high school student Thomas Labontand his family won a court victory this week against his school board, which previously ruled thathe wasn't allowed to bring his servicedog to class.

Labont's parents took the Commission Scolaire de la Capitale, aFrench-language school board, to court and won the right for their15-year-old to bring his service dog, Mika, to school.

The teenager, who has autism, relies on Mikato help keep him calm but the school board nixed the dog's attendance on the basis that it would impact another student with allergies.

The CommissionScolairede laCapitale also expressed concerns that the dog could pose a threat if anything set her off.

Conditional victory

The family also asked for$75,000 in damages from the school board, which was denied by the judge.

Based on the decision, Thomas will be allowed to bring Mika to class, but will have to change schoolsto avoid risk to the other student, who is allergic to dogs.

He will also have to provide proof of insurance documentation for Mikaand proof that he's completed the Mira assistance dog owner program.

Thomas's dad, MichelLabont, told CBC's Quebec AM that his son feelsextremely anxious when moving between classes and compared his son's experience navigating a crowded hallway as a "living hell."

Michel saidhe sees the court ruling as "a step forward," because it forces the school board to make accommodations for Thomas.

Family loses unrelated case

The family put forward another case against the school board, asking for damages because they argued Thomas wasn't put in a specialized program soon enough.

Thomas began kindergarten in 2008 in a regular class, but with added support. He was transferred to the specialized stream five years later, which Michel Labont argued was too late.

Michel Labont told Quebec AM the difference in support from the regular classes to the specialized stream was huge for Thomas.

The Quebec Superior Court ruled that the board followed the law, denying the family compensation.