Staples Manager Allegedly Asks Students With Disabilities To Stop Making Field Trips To Store
UPDATE: Staples released this statement to CBS4 on Friday: "Supporting schools, students and educators is at the core of our Staples business. We strive to provide a welcoming environment to all members of our community and are disappointed to hear earlier this week students and their teachers felt we fell short of that goal. Staples has reached out to the school district directly to apologize and have invited the students back to our store. We would be honored and grateful if they would consider a return visit. As an organization, we are using the events of Tuesday as a learning experience for all Staples associates to ensure that Staples is a welcoming space for everyone."
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) – An educator who teaches students with unique learning disabilities in Fort Collins has accused a local Staples manager of potential discrimination after a group of students were asked to leave the office supplies store. Alé McGee, an Integrated Services Teacher with Poudre School District, said a group of students with learning disabilities were asked to leave the Staples location off of Harmony Road in Fort Collins while they were on a learning trip outside of the classroom.
McGee said she takes her students regularly on trips to everyday businesses and venues as a way to expose them to life experiences and skills they will need after they graduate.
"We are preparing our students for what life looks like after school. We have the opportunity to take our students out into the community," McGee told CBS4's Dillon Thomas from her classroom at Fort Collins High School.
McGee said the official title for the trips is 'Community Based Education.' However, for simplicity, her students know the trips outside of the school as 'field trips.'
On Monday, Feb. 8, McGee and a small number of students arrived at the Staples store to complete a scavenger hunt.
Unlike a traditional scavenger hunt where children race and are sometimes encouraged to be disruptive, McGee said the students were conducting a quiet and composed scavenger hunt where they are tasked with trying to find certain products in the store.
McGee said the scavenger hunt educates students living with disabilities on how to shop for items, how to navigate stores and how to determine prices. The trips often take place at stores throughout Fort Collins.
"We are going to grocery stores (and) hardware stores. Pretty much anywhere that is an open business," McGee said. "(We are testing if) we can we identify things in different aisles? Can we do price comparison? Greater and less than. Stuff like that."
McGee said her students were quietly and respectively completing their assignment in the Staples store when a manager questioned why they were in the store. McGee claimed the manager said the students were not welcomed to do their learning activities in the Staples location.
CBS4 reached out to Staples and their corporate team for comment on this story, and for their side of the incident. However, as of the posting of this article, Staples has not returned requests to CBS4.
"(The manager said,) 'This is not a field trip location.' And, that it was inappropriate for us to do a scavenger hunt in there," McGee recalled.
McGee said she attempted to explain to the manager why the students were there. However, she said she felt he was not receptive of the reasoning.
A spokesperson for Poudre School District told CBS4 that the district does contract with Staples for staff supplies throughout the school year.
Some online have called on the district to cancel their purchase orders with the company as a result of the alleged incident.
McGee said she felt the manager of the store may have only taken action against the group simply because of the intellectual abilities. However, she noted she wasn't sure if a group of other students from the school would have been asked to leave as well.
Since taking her frustrations to Facebook many in the community have offered support for the students and their studies in real-world settings.
McGee said she wouldn't let her experience at Staples deter her from continuing to take the students out into public settings.
"The outpour from the community has been nothing but positive and supportive. So, we know there are lots of other individuals who will continue to support and be positive for future field trips," McGee said. "This one encounter does not define businesses in Fort Collins."
In a written statement to CBS4, a representative from PSD said: "The district is aware of a recent community experience that Poudre School District staff and students had and that was posted on social media. What we heard was disheartening and represents an opportunity for us to advocate for our students and all people with disabilities. In PSD, we strive to create a space where every student feels like they belong and are valued – not only in our schools but throughout the community."
