Food Allergies a "Disability" Under ADA, DOJ Rules

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Dept. of Justice recently ruled that the Americans With Disabilities Act applies to students with food allergies at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, who claimed that the school's food services and meal plans were inadequate for their needs, reports Inside Higher Ed. The agreement with DOJ requires Lesley to provide gluten- and allergen-free food options in its dining halls, offer special meal plans for students with allergies and pay $50,000 in damages to the students who filed the claim in 2009, among other measures.