We wanted to share this post from our friends over at MTV Voices:

A US Boarding School recently rejected a 13-year-old honor student. Why? He is HIV+

The Milton Hershey School’s recent rejection of a 13 year old, honor student is a blatant act of discrimination. It is no different than racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia, especially because the boy poses NO threat to the other students on a day-to-day basis. If the administration knew anything about the disease, they would know that HIV is a blood-born illness that can only be transmitted through bodily fluids.

The school’s reasoning for how the student poses a threat is utterly ridiculous, and illustrates how the administration is finding any excuse to keep the boy out of their school. Their reasoning? The fear that he might have unprotected sex. Unprotected sex? Really? I wasn’t aware that sex was a day-to-day activity in private schools. If that’s the case at Milton Hershey School, then they have bigger problems to worry about. The school has no business involving itself in the sexual lives of their students anyway. For all they know, students they let enroll in their school could be having unprotected sex and putting themselves at risk.

In the past, there have been controversies about schools prohibiting HIV positive students from playing sports because of the possibility of getting injured and coming in contact with blood (which is still ridiculous because the risk of being infected by limited blood contact is low). I would respect that reasoning more than Milton Hershey School’s reasoning because at least theirs is based on scientific facts, misinterpreted facts nonetheless, but still facts.

The worst part of this situation, however, is the perpetuation of the stigma associated with HIV.  An administrator publicly stated, “The reason is simple. We are serving children, and no child can be assumed to always make responsible decisions which protect the well-being of others.” This is a common stereotype associated with HIV infected individuals. Many people believe HIV positive individuals contracted the disease from having multiple sexual partners, being irresponsible by having unprotected sex, or by drug use. They forget that HIV can be transmitted by blood transfusions, which could happen to anybody.

The sad part is this bright young man has to live with this stigma attached to him forever. He will already have to live with people “discretely” avoiding hand shaking or coming in close contact with him. But the school blatantly told the boy that he is unworthy and incapable of living a normal life. The actions of the administrators are extremely heartbreaking, disgraceful, and illegal. My only hope is that this promising boy perseveres through all of this.

Sarah Cotenoff is a graduate student studying Media Studies. When not studying hard, she enjoys hanging out with her Grandma and watching Price is Right and Judge Judy.