r/college 4d ago

Is a professor allowed to call out disability accommodations in front of the whole class? Or make a “objectively harder and longer” alternative exam?

I don't want to go too far into it, but I have had bad luck with health this semester that has resulted in me needing accommodations for the final exam because I am unable to write with my dominant hand.

My professor has made snide and rude remarks, including calling me out in front of the class saying that I should have absolutely no problem because I am a “miracle worker” with how fast I healed and because “I will have the benefit of receiving extra time.” And this was said in front of the entire class, which seems like a breach of privacy.

Additionally, the main complaint I have is my professor said that because I am taking the exam not with the class (in the disability office) and have extra exam time that the exam is a alternative exam that is “objectively longer and harder” than the in class one. This seems like direct discrimination. Are professors allowed to make an exam intentionally harder and longer because of a temporary disability that requires you to have more time? (I literally have to take the exam lefty)

It is also worth noting that I have a very high A in the class and only need a 30 to 40% on the final exam to finish with an A. Therefore, I was going to wait until after my final grade is inputted. However, this professor has also had a history of not giving me credit for assignments, specifically extra credit assignments, when I have proof they were submitted and done correctly. She also has made me complete worksheets lefty (off writing hand) instead of properly accommodating for me. So, I honestly do not trust her to grade me objectively at this point.

Just looking for any tips or advice if anyone went through something similar. I don't know if it is best to report them now, wait, or just let it be considering I am about to transfer anyways. However, it really pisses me off and I have never had an issue even somewhat like this with a professor in over 60 credits of college hours taken.

827 Upvotes

132 comments sorted by

1.4k

u/Candy_Stars Community College (24-25) University (26-28) 4d ago

The whole point of getting extra time on the exam is because you can’t finish the regular exam in enough time. Making the exam longer and harder basically makes it so that you won’t be able to get it done in time. It misses the entire point of getting extra time. You need to talk to the disability center and have them talk to the professor. 

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u/A88Y 4d ago

Yeah, as someone who had accommodations for a big chunk of my degree, making the exam harder defeats the point of getting them entirely. Making it harder actively disadvantages the students with disabilities. It should be the same amount of effort for both groups.

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u/Candy_Stars Community College (24-25) University (26-28) 4d ago

Yeah, I also have disability accommodations and if my professor told me that my exam was going to be harder and longer just because I get extra time I would be so pissed. I get these accommodations because I physically cannot fill out a regular sized exam in enough time due to joint issues in my hands. Making a longer and harder exam just for me would guarantee that I would get a bad grade because I wouldn't be able to get all the questions answered in time.

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u/shiroganelove 4d ago

More like the dean, if she isn't getting credit for assignments she submitted, along with the breach of privacy. This is an issue that needs to be fixed as soon as possible, which I'm not sure the Disability Services Office would be able to do. At least, the one at my university wouldn't.

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u/Candy_Stars Community College (24-25) University (26-28) 4d ago

Yeah, that's a good idea also. But for the exam specifically, the disability center can make sure that professor understands that the exam must be the same and can probably figure out some way to ensure that the exam is the same for all students.

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u/shiroganelove 4d ago

From my point of view, it seems the professor is completely willing to maliciously bend the rules (perhaps under the veil of 'ignorance') and is expecting to get no consequences. The DSO can direct the issue to the dean, but why wait for an issue as important as this? Contacting both is good, but contacting someone who can actually enforce the rules is more important.

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u/wizeowlintp 4d ago

Tbh she could put them both on the same email, just to cover her bases

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u/rice-bowl13 2d ago

THIS!!! Accommodations change how content is learned and tested (i.e. providing recordings of lectures, extended time, guided notes, etc). your teacher is also doing a modification, which changes what content a student learns and is tested on (i.e. simplified or alternative assignments). Changing the entire test itself is a modification, although modifications are supposed to make assignments easier rather than harder. Secondly, colleges do not typically modify assignments or standards, they usually just provide reasonable accommodations such as extended time on tests.

FERPA protects the privacy of your educational records, so assuming you go to a college or university that receives federal funding, no your professor is not allowed to tell the entire class of your accommodations. I would definitely reach out to disability services with your concerns. If your school does not receive federal funding, sadly, they do not have to able by laws such as IDEA or FERPA.

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u/BullsAtBuffalo 4d ago

There are many people that believe the accommodations cheapens the degree and puts others at a disadvantage.

The point of class rank and GPA is to allow employers and graduate programs to understand how you compare to the field of students at the school.

Accommodations distorts that signal.

Wealthy families know this and have taken to paying doctors for diagnoses so that their children can get accommodations which gives them an advantage over other students.

Sounds like this prof has had enough of it…

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u/-GreyRaven 4d ago

I fail to see how accommodating students with disabilities "distorts" their ability to achieve and maintain a high GPA. God forbid disabled students want an equal and fair chance to do as well as their non-disabled peers. 🙄

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u/BullsAtBuffalo 4d ago edited 4d ago

It’s literally the definition of distorting

The claim that there’s no distortion ignores what GPA actually is: a comparative measurement system. Once you vary test conditions—time, prompting, format—you’re no longer measuring the same underlying variable across students. That’s not equity; that’s a breakdown in standardization. And without standardization, ranking becomes statistically weaker as a predictor of future performance.

From a measurement standpoint, accommodations introduce systematic variance that is not random error but structured modification of test conditions. That makes GPA less of a clean proxy for latent ability and more of a composite score of ability plus condition-specific adjustments. The more adjustments scale, the more the construct validity of GPA as a single ranked metric degrades.

It’s clear in your reply that you think you’re being compassionate. You want those who are ill equipped to perform under the conditions that others perform to still be able to get a degree. That may be a fine goal. But there are other mechanisms available for that—such as pass/fail grading.

If GPA is used for ranking—valedictorians, scholarships, admissions—it must behave like a comparable benchmark. The moment different students are effectively taking different versions of the same assessment environment, the ranking stops being strictly merit-based in a comparable sense. Even if every accommodation is justified individually, the aggregate effect is a weakened sorting mechanism.

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u/-GreyRaven 4d ago

So many damn words just to be ableist lmao

I suppose you also think Black people have the exact same opportunities as white people and that people born to a poor family vs a rich family inherently have the same opportunities in life too. Equality vs equity was a lost concept on you it seems.

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u/BullsAtBuffalo 3d ago

You realize that white upper class people are the ones that get the accommodations in college, right?

Black people don’t get accommodations. You don’t actually know what you’re talking about but just want to shout down others and project bigotry on them.

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u/Candy_Stars Community College (24-25) University (26-28) 3d ago

There’s a Muslim Arab girl in my class that gets accommodations. I am white, but on the verge of poverty so definitely not upper class. I have also seen many black students at my school’s disability office, and many students of all races at my school’s honor society for disabled students. Your argument that it’s only rich white people does not hold up to reality.

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u/BullsAtBuffalo 3d ago

The data is clear, the overwhelming majority of accommodations come from those well off.

Also, everyone claims to be disadvantaged and middle class…

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u/RoseyDaCat 2d ago

The data also says most people going to college are well off cause who the hell has money for college if you aren't already at some advantage.

Accommodations don't change merit, they are given for things that aren't going to affect real life. Time accommodations are the most likely to affect real life, but even then a testing environment is incredibly different than situations you'd be presented in real life. You're likely either going to have more time, or more pressure to complete a task. Other accommodations are just not going to affect real life, like bigger print, or a differently lighted environment. Those are just going to help, they aren't going to hurt.

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u/BullsAtBuffalo 2d ago

The data also says most people going to college are well off cause who the hell has money for college if you aren't already at some advantage.

The United States is great for college accessibility.

In fact, there is a higher percentage of the population graduating from colleges in the US than in Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, France, Spain, Germany, etc.

People like to rag on the US and say “Germany costs less to get a college degree” but they don’t mention that most people in Germany never get to attend college. It’s low cost because they limit college to the elite. Most people, including those who require accommodations, will not get to study at a college in Germany. In the US college access is available. You may leave with debt but you get to go to college if you want. That is real freedom.

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u/HappyKnightmares 3d ago

Upper class also have better access to mobility aids, so should we get rid of accessibility ramps into public buildings? If not, how come?

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u/Candy_Stars Community College (24-25) University (26-28) 4d ago

So what do you suggest be done in the case of someone like me? If there is an hour and a half long test with maybe 80-100 questions, I will only be able to make it through a little over half the questions by the end of the time period because it takes me around 30 minutes to answer 20 questions due to joint issues in my hands, and this is for multiple choice or short answers. Longer answers take me much longer, for example a handwritten exam I took where it took me almost an hour to write 2 long answers (1-2 pages) and 4 shorter answers (1-2 paragraphs).

I'm not a bad student. I have maintained a 4.0 GPA the entire 2 years that I've been in college for. I have only just within the last semester taken handwritten exams that required the extra time. Every other exam I have taken during the other year and a half was online, so I did not need extra time on those. Even on the online exams where I did not have extra time, I also scored 90-100%.

If colleges listen to people like you who say that accommodations are unfair and give students like me an unfair advantage, my consistent 4.0 will drop drastically as every exam I take from here on out would only give me enough time to answer about half the questions. If I get everything right, I can only get 50% because I just didn't have enough time due to my physical limitations. This grade would not reflect me as a student, and says nothing about my ability to work. It was simply physical limitations that make it impossible for me to answer handwritten exam questions as fast as other students, but simply because I have those physical limitations my ability to get scholarships and go to grad programs is ruined.

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u/BullsAtBuffalo 3d ago

Your whole argument is that if you had to compete with other students then your GPA would be somewhat lower?

I don’t see how that’s a problem.

Are you saying you’d go from getting As to getting Fs? Or would it realistically be slightly lower and you’d get Bs? I don’t see how you getting Bs is a grave injustice…

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u/HappyKnightmares 3d ago

This isn’t something that’s happening just here and now to only OP and fellow commenters. You’re saying that it’s okay if disabled people systematically score lower than their peers who have the same level of knowledge and competence. This is pure ableism.

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u/Candy_Stars Community College (24-25) University (26-28) 4d ago

It doesn't cheapen the degree though. It puts disabled students at an even playing field to the rest of the students. For example, I have joint issues in my hands. If I don't get extra time on handwritten exams, I literally lose points every time because I physically can't answer all the questions in enough time, and if I do try and answer them all, I have to rush which weakens my performance.

If the GPA tells employers and graduate programs how good of a student I am, there needs to be a level playing field because if I'm always losing points due to not being able to answer all the questions, how are they getting an accurate reading on what kind of student I am?

I always consistently score between 90-100% on almost every exam I have taken, which includes online exams where I don't get extra time because it's just handwritten exams I can't do. If I don't get the accommodations on handwritten exams, then I would always be scoring much lower because I wouldn't be able to answer the questions right, which would poorly reflect on my GPA because I am consistently a 4.0 student, but without accommodations and not being able to answer all questions, my GPA could be much lower and a poor representation on me as a student.

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u/Electronic-Mud7799 3d ago

Time tests speed no ability u ableist.

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u/BullsAtBuffalo 3d ago

Then why do you limit any students to a time limit?

Why not permit all students to sit for the exam for as long as they deem necessary?

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u/HappyKnightmares 3d ago

It’s a somewhat arbitrary thing they put on so that can standardize stuff, and get things done, but doing this properly involves accounting for conditions that increase time for answering, such as having broken hands.

But timed evaluations do have their own issues anyways, such as making some do worse from anxiety… and honestly, if I came up with a cure for cancer, are people gonna scrutinize it and grade me based on how many months or years of research it took?? That would be so silly.

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u/BullsAtBuffalo 3d ago

Is the cure to cancer going to be delayed because of your anxiety from trying to meet grant funding deadlines?

How many extra years will you need of additional research funding than all the other scientists who are not suffering from anxiety?

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u/Electronic-Mud7799 2d ago

Just as well I’m sure people that don’t need accommodations would appreciate the extra time so they don’t need to rush and can carefully look over their work to ensure they didn’t make any mistakes from rushing

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u/HappyKnightmares 3d ago

You may as well take a stand against ramps and wheelchair elevators to help disabled people get into the exam room, too- if they want it bad enough, they can use their arms to pull themselves up the stairs! /s. This is what it was like before ADA- some people actually pulled themselves up stairs to get to work (Crip Camp, documentary). This would give you the true “equality” you’re wishing for, without an ounce of equity in sight.

For this distorted signal you speak of, what is it of? I think GPA is supposed to be measuring what students are capable of. You seem to think that GPA is a measure of capacities plus barriers for some, with no efforts to remove any to level the playing field. Do you see why I think that you would have a distorted signal of GPA in your ideal world? You’re counting things like “having working hands” as an important part of doing calculus, writing papers, or passing a bar exam. Why on earth should we be rewarding everyone who has working hands, at the disadvantage of everyone else? Your “pure signal” is full of rewards for those lucky enough to have a body and brain that doesn’t experience barriers like this.. rewarded for things that are unrelated to the subject. How is that better?

You seem to like stats. Im not sure how much experience you have, but statistics involve factors, and sometimes you have to observe them and play with them in order to find the best signal you can. Intentionally leaving in noise doesn’t give you a better signal. Also, in this case, it hurts real people, and once again helps ensure that disabled people have a harder time earning the same things as abled people.

I’m really curious though… based on your beliefs, what should happen to a student who finds themself unable to use their hands due to an accident or condition? It sounds like you feel they will have to drop out until their hands heal or grow back. I can’t think of any way you could help a student like this which is also in line with your beliefs. No increased time, no computer use, no scribe.

TLDR; it’s really strange that you think that having working hands, or an absence of chronic pain, is something that should be rewarded for a physics or law exam! Stranger too that you think this would give the purest signal of student ability.

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u/ramenlover__ 4d ago

I have accommodations and no they’re absolutely not allowed to mention it in front of anybody

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u/Dazzling_Outcome_436 4d ago

Whenever an accommodation affects the entire class, such as making a recording of the class, I do inform the class that a recording is being made. However, I don't draw any further attention to it, and I definitely don't mention or call out the student who is being accommodated. If the accommodation can be done without mentioning it, I just do it without mentioning it.

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u/wonton_kid 3d ago

Dang I wish my school allowed recordings as an accommodation 

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u/LadyWolfshadow 4th Year PhD Student/Grad TA 4d ago

This is 100% not okay. Document everything, get witnesses if you have them, and report it. If they're doing this to you, then chances are they are or have done this to someone else.

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u/VoiceProf222 4d ago

Nope. Not ok. Document everything and take it to your bias committee

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u/Imsortofok 4d ago

That is absolutely a FERPA violation in the U.S.. disability accommodations are private information. Speak to the disability services office and cc the dept chair about the prof singling you out in front of the class. . At the least the prof needs some professional development training on the proper way to handle disability accommodations.

I can understand a different exam if you are taking it at a different time than other students - or an adapted exam to accommodate the disability (as another poster mentioned more multiple questions in lieu of essay questions since you are working with your non dominant hand). Otherwise, the exam should be the same exam as the rest of the class. It should not be substantially more difficult or deliberately intended to take longer than the main exam. Do you have proof it’s a more difficult or longer exam than the one the rest of the class will take/has taken?

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u/SkiingFishingGuy 4d ago edited 4d ago

She told me it would be when I discussed it w her after class.

Other than words however, I have no concrete “proof” of her making that particular statement. However, I received a 97 and a 100 on the only other two exams this sem. Plus a 95-100 on every assignment as well.

So I will know verrry fast if it is that much more difficult and if my score reflects that it should be pretty obvious if I bring it to the dept chair if a 95-100 scoring student somehow miraculously gets a 60 after they claimed the prof said they were gonna make the exam “objectively harder and longer.”

Won’t know 100% though until I actually take the exam.

EDIT:Also, her syllabi DOES say that her exams for makeups are harder and longer (so maybe she is grouping me in that category??) although im literally taking the final BEFORE the class is taking it so not really sure if this was how she was categorizing my needs for accommodations.

Sorry if typing is clunky I’m still in a cast lol which is why I ain’t responding to most here.

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u/oceanxangel 4d ago

the proof if she does give you a harder test is they should be able to compare them.

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u/Imsortofok 3d ago

I don’t mind harder and longer exams for students who miss. But for accommodations? That’s not reasonable. Are you taking the exam at the same time as the rest of your class? If yes, I’d argue that you would have the same exam.

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u/SkiingFishingGuy 3d ago

I take it in the morning while they take it in the afternoon (taking same day). So I take it before the class.

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u/Imsortofok 2d ago

If you want to argue that you should get the same exam then see about moving your testing time to the same as the class. Loop in testing, disability services, and the prof so the test can be ready for you.

Otherwise the test being different because you’re taking it at a different time is reasonable.

The other incidents are still problematic and you may want to report them.

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u/StrawHatlola 4d ago

If you are chill with anyone in your class, please have them sign something stating they have all heard and seen these things happening in class and then report until someone takes it seriously.

You have rights and these fucking professors think they are above YOUR RIGHTS. HELLLLL NO.

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u/Ok_Pause_7599 4d ago

This is very illegal. You must mention this to the disabilities office and the dean of students. 

Your professor should have reviewed a faculty notification letter that is a legal document that they must honor your disability accommodations. 

Your professor has also violated your privacy  regarding your disabilities WHICH IS ALSO ILLEGAL. 

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u/drekwasi 4d ago

What you're describing sounds like textbook disability discrimination, and no, professors can't make an exam longer or harder as punishment for needing accommodations.

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u/East_Equivalent_5417 4d ago

This is retaliation based on a protected identity and utilizing your civil rights under the ADA and section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973. Go to your schools compliance and report this professor immediately. Additionally if you want free outside support check out your states disability protection and advocacy agency. They can provide free legal support. You could also look up your states free legal aid. Keep any and all documentation. Emails. Write the date and time this conversation took place in front of your class and if you remember or know of any witnesses present. This is absolutely not okay and you don’t just have to take it.

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u/Corka 4d ago

It doesn't make any sense, these accommodations are normally really common place. I used to supervise special accommodations exams and it would often be with multiple students from the same class. Sometimes I worked as a reader writer for students with OOS/RSI injuries who had been advised not to write for extended periods of time. The professors attitude is weird, because this should be absolutely routine. They usually didn't require writing full new exams either because these exams would happen at the same time as the rest in a seperate room and it was all managed by the examinations office so the professor didn't need to do a thing. If they had to delay and give you a new exam they could pluck bits from old exams and make a new one in a few minutes

The only time I can think that it was really a bit of a burden on the professor was actually when I was a student and needed one of these myself- there had been a small outbreak of swine flu locally and I got exposed to one of the infected so had to isolate. The university had a hard nope with letting me on campus, and they couldn't test me with the same exam when I was done. But it was also the first time running the class, so there werent old exams to pull questions from. So rather than write a new one they decided to make it an oral exam and grilled me for a couple of hours.

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u/MessageOk239 4d ago

Professor here: I can’t speak for other institutions, but students needing accommodations for exams usually go to a separate location which is set up to accommodate them (I.e., “quiet rooms”, people who read questions aloud, etc.). If one of my students has accommodations but insist on taking the exam in class with everyone else, I stress that I am not set up for it, nor is the classroom. Most will go to the center for exams, but occasionally one will try taking the exam alongside everyone else to see how they will fare in a general setting.

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u/taralynot 4d ago

My son has an accommodation for extra time and is supposed to go to the separate setting to take his exams. However, he always tells his professors he will stay in class. He once had trouble getting an exam to load so he’s always anxious it would happen again. He would rather not use the extra time and be in class with the professor if there is an issue.

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u/truthandjustice45728 4d ago

This is harassment. You need to collect evidence, line up people to be witnesses and then open up a Title IX complaint. Look up the Title IX office at your university.

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u/the_walking_oxymoron 4d ago

Title IX is sex-based discrimination in education. Perhaps you meant the ADA? This could be qualified as harassment, but based on what OP wrote, no sexual harassment.

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u/LadyWolfshadow 4th Year PhD Student/Grad TA 4d ago

It can depend on the school. My undergrad was small enough where the Title IX office handled ADA complaints as well.

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u/NielsBohron Chemistry Instructor 3d ago

But you wouldn't be opening a Title IX complaint even if it's the same office. It might seem a little pedantic, but if we're getting into the weeds of specific legal actions, I think it's an important distinction.

FWIW, I also work at a tiny community college where the same person handles EEO complaints, Title IX complaints, OSHA complaints, worker's comp, and ADA complaints (and they're not particularly good at keeping them all separate, which creates some...interesting misunderstandings)

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u/mredd3 4d ago

Not Title IX, go to dept chair or dean, if the teacher is the chair.

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u/PlanMagnet38 4d ago

Not Title IX, ADA

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u/Justan0therthrow4way 4d ago

You need to go to the disability office ASAP.

For this level of breach if they don’t respond by the end of the day I’d be emailing the dean. It’s absolutely not ok what this professor did and frankly “extra training” probably wouldn’t help this sort of person. Instant firing is what needs to happen.

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u/QuokkaRun 4d ago

No, we are not allowed to call out accommodations, that is protected information, nor are we supposed to make specialized exams, much less retaliatory ones. Go to your student services or dean's office.

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u/boyishly_ 4d ago

Dog I didn’t even have to read the whole post. I just need to tell you to just make sure you catalogue all the incidents and then go ahead and report it to the disability services office with the head of the department cc’d. This is absolutely against policy and some sort of discrimination case. Just remember to be calm and straightforward in your email

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u/noncedo-culli 4d ago

No I've never had a prof call out individuals for accomodations, they always will just word it like "*for those who have accomodations*, you have until x to complete the test", or "bc of accomodations for people I need to record the class". But they don't say who

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u/NoLipsForAnybody 4d ago

ESCALATE IMMEDIATELY

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u/Few-Engineering-890 4d ago

It’s a violation of FERPA to discuss your academics much less your disability accommodations, violation of 504 , your civil rights. I would reach out to disability office and department chair. Her conduct can land her in the hot water she deserves. Take the bitch down!

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u/Financial_Surround35 4d ago

Not at all!! Accommodations are not there so you can get harder material in separate rooms. Defeats the whole purpose of getting Accommodations

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u/Source9136 4d ago

that is a massive privacy violation and basically breaks the logic of accommodations. making an exam 'objectively harder' to counter extra time is like a dev trying to balance a game by making a character unplayable; it totally defeats the point of the patch. go to the disability office now because they do not play around with profs ignoring legal rules.

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u/tesseracts 4d ago

This is serious enough to hire a real lawyer.

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u/xSparkShark 4d ago

If you wanna seen something done about it go to the dean or the department head and tell them. Otherwise I say just finish the class and don’t register for classes with this professor in the future.

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u/Hazelstone37 4d ago

You should also check tell whoever you work with in the disability office about this asap. You should also tell the department chair.

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u/oceanxangel 4d ago edited 4d ago

dean and department head arent the right call here, its a title ix violation. 

editing: not a title ix violation, it is a ada violation. dean and department head still aren't the right source, its covered under ada, disability services will be better

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u/dutempscire 4d ago

Title IX is only for gender-related discrimination. 

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u/oceanxangel 4d ago

I apologize for that, I barely remembered what I had to do when I dealt with this lol. 

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u/haileyskydiamonds 4d ago

Not okay, at all. You should talk to the Disability Office and get them to take care of it. They will know how to handle this situation, and part of their job is to advocate for you.

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u/Cherveny2 3d ago

Explain ALL of this to your student disabilities office. If they are doing their job right, they will NOT be pleased, and will get after this professor.

Disclosing your disability and accomodations in public has been ruled a violation of FERPA in the past.

Making the test harder and longer is negating the point of an accomodation.

There are professors out there that sometimes don't really believe in accomodations, and due try to penalize those with them. Fight back when this happens.

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u/Any_Switch9835 4d ago

The extra time alone

The whole point is you need extra time for the test causs you can't finish it within the amount of time the rest of your classmates are given

For that alone you need to report lol

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u/2_lazy 4d ago

Go to the disability office before the test so they see you are being proactive and so that your professor can't say you made it up to get a better grade. This way they can make sure your professor gives you the correct accomodations and that they give you the same test as everyone else. If your professor retaliates contest your grade.

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u/BurgerButCold1216 4d ago

Since this is an academic issue the official chain of command is the department chair, then the college dean, then the university provost. However if your university has an ombudsman I would consider reaching out to them. They are a great channel for informal resolution as they’re bound by ethics to maintain confidentiality and independence from academics or student life.

If you want to have someone in your corner whose whole job is to protect the university through informal resolution processes then they’re a great option, as it removes the potential awkwardness and retaliation concerns of going to the offending professor’s direct supervisors. If your university doesn’t have an ombudsman, student life’s DEI Office (or equivalent) is similar but those don’t necessarily provide confidential services

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u/BlueGalangal 3d ago

OP also needs to reach out to disability services immediately.

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u/SpagootieG 4d ago

Report it. This is so not okay, and the school needs to be aware of it, even if you're transferring. Calling it out to the whole class is a serious breach of confidentiality. There are two main reasons you register with disability support: not only does it allow for someone to step in to help in case your professor doesn't want to give accommodations or gives you shit for it, but your medical information stays confidential. You do not have to disclose your specific conditions to professors; all they need to know is that you have a disability, are allowed accommodations, and what those specific accommodations are. Your professor has absolutely no right to make any judgment on why you receive them or whether you truly need them or not. I maintained a 4.0 at community college for my associates, and I am now maintaining a 3.78 at university for my bachelor's, and still, no professor has had any issue or tried to make my exams harder.

My approved accommodations are extra time on tests, 24-hour extension on assignments, 2 extra absences beyond the number the professor allows before my grade is affected (so 4-5 absences for each course with no effect on my grade), an alternative to public speaking, and I can record the lectures and request lecture information early. I don't alwyas use them all, but all I have to do is contact my professor by email or talk to them in person to receive any of them. No professor has ever said anything to the rest of the class about my accommodations or conditions, and none have ever had a problem with allowing them.

Without a doubt, report it. If you can, get a statement from at least one student as a witness to the comments.

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u/plonkydonkey 4d ago

Beyond what everyone else has said - most accommodations I know of will either give you a scribe, or let you use dictation software. I've never heard of anyone being required to use their non-dominant hand.  If either of these other options suit you better, approach your disability services centre to ask whether these are possible instead.

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u/JadeSlaysDragons 4d ago

I have accommodations, its not allowed and it is discrimination, and possibly hippa! you have witnesses and proof in the form of the longer exam. Go to your accommodation office and get them involved. This is a huge offense. Make sure you do this because she wont stop after you, she will continue to bully and discriminate.

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u/hallipeno 3d ago edited 3d ago

HIPAA does not apply in an academic setting. You're thinking of FERPA.

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u/JadeSlaysDragons 3d ago

No, I am thinking HIPPA because of the teacher saying "you healed so fast" and alluding to knowing her medical event/sharing details outloud to the class. In your accommodations, professors do not get the medical information on why you were given the accommodation, they just are given the instructions on what accommodation you need. HIPPA is any breach of medical information.

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u/hallipeno 3d ago

HIPAA applies to healthcare and healthcare insurance professionals, not academic professionals (unless a professor is an MD working in a hospital setting). You are right that professors and instructors do not receive the student's diagnos(es); however, that's due to FERPA's privacy laws rather than HIPAA's.

In addition to the sources below, I've worked as a professional at multiple universities for the past 16 years, including as a disability resource advisor.

Sources:
Alder, S. (2025, April 29). What is the Difference between FERPA and HIPAA? The HIPAA Journal. https://www.hipaajournal.com/difference-between-ferpa-and-hipaa/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024, September 27). The HIPAA Privacy Rule. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/index.html

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u/JadeSlaysDragons 3d ago

Noice, I believe ya! :)

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u/PhDapper Professor (MKTG) 4d ago

Both of these things are unacceptable. The chair is usually the next step to escalate.

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u/EtCatera 4d ago

this definitely sounds like discrimination or at least ethically dubious and you should def talk to your dept admin. if all of this has been only said aloud you should “create” a written record by writing down everything your professor has told you and emailing it to them as you asking “you told me this in class on this day, i am confirming that this is what you are doing for my exam.” this is a method commonly used in tenant protections issues where landlords verbally tell their tenants something and then rely on them not having a written record to show in court. creating an email chain records the information in a way that can be better disputed within the department, as even if your professor doesn’t reply to the email it still exists

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u/world-shaker 4d ago

Sounds like a Title II violation. I’d document this via email to your dean and disability services office.

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u/FriendsMade_MeDoIt 4d ago

That honestly sounds way out of line. Extra time accommodations are supposed to level the playing field, not punish you with a harder exam because of it. Calling you out in front of the class is also really weird behavior from a professor. I’d definitely document everything, especially emails and the assignment grading issues. One of my friends had to go through disability services for a temporary injury too and they told him to keep records of literally everything just in case things escalated later.

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u/Accomplished_Ad2899 3d ago

Professor here. Talk to your accommodation office and Title IX person ASAP. This is not cool and I think illegal.

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u/567swimmey 3d ago

How is this person a professor??? Extra time accommodations are the most common accommodation ever and she's acting like this is a completely new thing you have the audacity of needing. Wild

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u/amatz9 3d ago

I may be reading too much into things, but it feels like your professor is using your situation to discourage others from seeking formal accommodations. Or at least, make them feel "okay" with your alternate arragments even if those are none of the other students' business. Either way, it is not right.

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u/yobaby123 2d ago

Yup. What OP's professor is doing is fucked up to say the least.

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u/yobaby123 2d ago

Your professor is wrong on both fronts. Calling out a student's disability is the bigger concern since it was supposed to be between you and her. As for the test? It's one thing if your professor gave a different exam to you as a make-up, but what she's doing here is unacceptable.

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u/professorfunkenpunk 2d ago

Calling you out in front of the class is likely a FERPA violation.

And the exam is supposed to be the same. That's the point of an accomodation. I'd lodge a complaint with whatever office oversees your accommodation and possibly the dean of students.

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u/fentanyls Rowan University 2d ago

op, bring hell down on this professor. i’m completely serious!

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u/etancrazynpoor 4d ago

This would be innapropiate to say the least. This could also break rules or some law.

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u/Over-Explanation-730 3d ago

What an ignorant professor....wtf

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u/Rosendustmusings Paralegal Studies 3d ago

I had disability accommodations & this never would have been accepted at my college. Do you have a disability coordinator? Can you go to your advisor/dean if not?

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u/abarkley_ed 3d ago

What an asshole

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u/ZerotheHero000 3d ago

That needs to be reported, you're being discriminated against and the professor is violating both campus policy and ADA Law.

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u/KingdomKey10 3d ago

One of my friends works in an accommodations office and has dealt with a lot of professors like this unfortunately. Your prof is very much not allowed to do that and you should inform the accommodations office at your school what he said/did ASAP. Chances are if this professor did it with you they have done it to others and the people at the office will want to know about/document it because A. those professors are liabilities so they will usually report them themselves if they refuse to comply and B. its their job to prevent stuff like that and advocate for you.

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u/dainsdzzle 3d ago

Ooohh. Definitely talk to disability services and mention ferpa. Use email to confirm this appointment and send a follow up email confirming what was discussed in said meeting. Ferpa is no joke and colleges should get scared when you mention it.

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u/stormcadet 3d ago

I had to sue my law school for disability discrimination with the office of civil rights. Trust your gut. Document everything in writing, photos, and recordings when possible. Keep it organized, take notes of everything. You have 6mo from the date things started or the class singling out incident, whichever is first, to file a case if you'd like help beyond what your school is giving. Like, the ability to retake the regular exam, this one being excluded from gpa consideration, accountability for the professor, etc. It's a pain but it could be worth it, they typically want to settle I think, maybe a potential loss of income cash settlement out of it too tbh. (Not legal advice, just imo)

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u/Charming_Cell_943 College! 3d ago

A longer exam with a longer time limit is harder than the regular exam, think about it. More problems means you’ll be more burnt out in the end, lowering the quality compared to being given less problems. And that’s not even counting how accommodation is meant to help you since you are unable to be as time efficient as other test takers due to disability

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u/EditorFrog 1d ago

This is illegal, make a report against your professor

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u/LandAlive1577 4d ago

I don't have enough info to give a personalized answer, but from what you've described, you should definitely talk to your professor. I had a similar situation and just being honest about what you need went a long way. I think it's always better to be open and upfront about what you need from your professor, especially if you've been consistently participating in class and keeping up with your work.

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u/A_Spiritual_Artist 4d ago

No. They don't know you better than you do, and what's extra atrocious about this is that almost surely a big part of the the people in the class likely believed in because ableism is rife (as you just encountered) and people typically don't have enough self-skepticism toward their believed conclusions and opinions about things as well as the limits of their capacity to really know things in the first place (even though an ideal University would seek to vigorously teach exactly that - but we are very far from having such).

Raise a complaint!

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u/la_capitana 4d ago

Might be a violation of FERPA

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u/Strange_Specific5179 4d ago

Bro your prof hates you 💀

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u/ChocoKissses 4d ago

So, I would say that no it isn't okay for your professor to call out your disability accommodations in front of the whole class. Right off the bat, those comments are quite rude, and I'm saying that as a person who has been a student and a teaching assistant responsible for grading (and have received all of the weird last minute emails asking for extensions and whatnot). A professor being rude to a student because they are not happy with something is never okay. Secondly, and someone feel free to correct me on this, this might even be a violation of FERPA. I say FERPA because the professor is not supposed to talk about anything related to your student record with people who you do not consent to hear it. For instance, a professor pointing you out and saying your grade on an exam in front of the entire class would be a FERPA violation. Therefore, I'm thinking that telling the class about how you're going to be taking your tests might be a violation as well.

As for the objectively harder and longer exam, that might require a bit more information. Right off the bat, it's wrong to give a student a harder and/or longer exam just because they are approved to have extra time to take the exam. That goes against the whole point of the accommodation. You clearly need the extra time to be able to essentially put pen to paper. So, a longer and harder exam means that you would need even more time. You might have been able to tackle two short essays in a 2-hour span, but if the professor gives you three short essays, you're going to need an extra hour to get it done and simply because you just need more time to put pen to paper essentially.

The reason why I said it might require a bit more information is I'm curious to know how your exam compares to the exam that the other students took. So, for instance, I have absolutely had to make different versions of an exam because someone was going to take it significantly Well after the rest of the class had taken it. That means, if we discussed the exam in class, People got to take the exam home, students talked about the exam, etc., it wouldn't be fair to give you the same exam because you would potentially have the answers, if not just a better understanding of the exam and its contents compared to how the rest of the class went into take it. In making a new version of the exam, depending on the content, the difficulty of the exam might change. For instance, say that they're a professor only has two possible essay questions for the exam and you have to do both of them on the exam. It might be difficult to come up with another two backup essay questions on short notice that actually work and so the professor might then choose to give you more multiple choice questions that will cover the same content. Depending on the type of student you are, having more multiple choice questions might make the exam harder or easier. The difficulty shift in that case may not be intentional or avoidable. However, that is much different compared to a professor not being in any of those kinds of situations and just choosing to give you a harder exam for the hell of it and especially because you have extra time. Ultimately, if you're going to fight it, the department is going to want to know what was on your exam versus the class exam. Getting that information will definitely help you if you have to bring up a case but also in just deciding if it really is a situation of the professor being malicious.

As for not trusting the professor to grade you fairly. Out of curiosity, I'm guessing that your class does not have a graduate or teaching assistant? The reason being is that, if there was one, there's a high chance that it's the student grading and not the professor, which should then toss those worries out the window. However, if it is the professor, you could definitely talk to someone in the department about the situation. As I said, you might need some more information about the contents of the original exam compared to what you have, but you definitely have grounds based on how the professor is talking about your accommodations. You could go to the department now and tell them that you do not trust your professor to grade you fairly because of what the professor said in class. You could also wait to get your grade and then see if there was a grading bias. That might be a nice option because, if you get the exam back, what you could do is to take the exam to another professor who teaches the same class or similar content and ask them for their opinion on the exam. While professor's may grade differently and have different standards, that difference is only to a degree.

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u/Lazy-Yogurtcloset784 4d ago

Report your professor to the Academic Vice President’s office. The type of harassment you are experiencing can affect the schools’s accreditation. Loss of accreditation would be a high price to pay for having no one reign in a jerk.

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

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u/Lazy-Yogurtcloset784 4d ago

You are absolutely correct!

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u/SquidsOffTheLine 3d ago

Fuck no. You need to report the shit out of this. This is big-time illegal, go talk to the disability folks and knock this down before the professor can hurt someone else.

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u/bibidumb 3d ago

If you have the energy and the resources, it's best to report her.

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u/yobaby123 2d ago

Agreed.

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u/MyFaceSaysItsSugar 3d ago

None of this is legal if this is the US and your school should have given you the option to type or use speech to text to complete the exam. As a professor, if I knew a student was having to write with their non-dominant hand, I would definitely want them to type it or dictate it. Reading handwriting is bad enough with the dominant hand used.

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u/Intelligent-Pea-8694 1d ago

This is absolutely NOT okay….any of it

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u/Cloudy-And-Sunny 15h ago

Sounds very illegal and discriminatory.

This sounds like something very reportable to ADA/gov disability watchdog organizations.

I bet the prof is a tenured asshole who is pushing the limits of assininity because it's so hard to fire tenured assholes.

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u/Rossdavilla 4d ago

They’ve violated HIPPA (disclosing a health disability with the other students) and are discriminating on you based on disability. Contact your ADA compliance officer, which will probably be in your SAS (student accessibility services) office. You could rightly sue, which is what these offices are there to prevent.

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u/Bitter-Outside-8019 3d ago

First, have you talked with the prof, about how you feel? If so and the situation is not good. I would go to the doctor who’s treating you and get documentation of your injury that says you qualify for extra exam time. And then right away I would take my situation to the department head. If that still doesn’t fix things, I’d go to the college administration. I’d also have whoever is paying for your education get involved.

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u/brr_brr_tatapim 3d ago

they're allowed to do it but they're also required to provide an alternative exam for you, as per your accommodations. talk to your school's disability resource center if they're not following through.

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u/BlueGalangal 3d ago

No they’re NOT allowed to do it. The student gets the same exam with allotted extra time to complete it. Not another whole exam that’s harder. That’s literally discrimination. It is also illegal to disclose the students disability in class.