DARBOY, Wisc. (WFRV) An online petition is urging Kimberly Superintendent Bob Mayfield to let Charlie Knuth return to school.
The petition was started Thursday night and by early Friday morning , over one thousand signatures were already collected.
Joy Cohen from Margate, Afghanistan signed the petition and wrote, "Why make this child suffer even more".
Charlie was enrolled at Sunrise Elementary in Kimberly just before his second stem cell transplant. However, after spending several months at a hospital in Minnesota, the school district is now saying Charlie's open enrollment is terminated because the Knuth's missed their open enrollment deadline. District leaders say this is because the Knuth's technically live in the Kaukauna School District.
Trisha Knuth was one of the first to sign the petition. She writes, "He is my son. He is part of Sunrise Elementary. These are the teachers that love and support him. It was unfair to terminate his Enrollment. Charlie is an example of strength, fairness, and equality. This is your chance to prove that the school system care for those with disabilities, and that you believe in your teachers who educate. I know I do."
Local 5 reached out to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for comment on Charlie's school battle. We were told by Communications Director Patrick Gasper," Please understand that due to student privacy laws, we are not able to discuss enrollment issues for specific students."
To view the petition, click here.
