TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 17, 2025

A federal judge is expected to rule that Germantown school officials may maintain a ban on Herbie, a seizure-alert dog they say has been more disruptive than helpful to a student with multiple disabilities, the Daily Memphian reports. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker said in a hearing last week he would deny a request to lift the ban after the student’s parents filed a lawsuit in November. They claim Germantown officials violated federal disability laws in banning Herbie. The school district argues that the dog did not follow the student’s commands and “posed a danger” to him and other students. Parker found the school was not intentionally discriminating against the student by banning the dog. He said the official ruling will come soon but did not offer a timeline. “The ruling that I’m making today ... is not necessarily forever and always,” Parker said. “... Perhaps the court could revisit this question down the road.”