Six students have filed a lawsuit against Bryn Mawr College, stating that the administration had “deliberate indifference to the needs of students with disabilities, in particular ‘invisible’ disabilities.” The suit, which was filed on May 5, names Bryn Mawr’s previous director of Access Services Deborah Alder for failing to offer proper accommodations for students, saying her choices were “arbitrary and inscrutable.”
The lawsuit describes the buildings on campus, specifically Taylor Hall, Pembroke Hall and Merion, as being entirely inaccessible to disabled students and states that the college “does very little to assist disabled students with transportation from dorms to classes on the spread out campus.”
Another focus of the complaint is that Bryn Mawr has specifically failed students with “invisible” disabilities that lead to dietary restrictions. One plaintiff, Hope Richards-Cordell, suffers from Celiac disease and therefore requires an entirely gluten free diet. Bryn Mawr’s dining halls both have a common kitchen, where cross contamination could occur. Erdman’s dining hall has a “gluten free room,” which is accessible only to students who have gluten intolerances or Celiac. But, according to the lawsuit, it took the college over 3 weeks for Richards-Cordell to be granted access to this room. She was eventually forced to take a semester of medical leave due to frequent vomiting or even avoiding eating due to fear of contamination, according to the suit. The complaint states that the gluten free options were not only inadequate but “downright harmful to students’ health”, and includes a picture of gluten free waffles covered in mold.
The complaint also alleges that the college refuses to accommodate for disabilities such as ADHD, autism and neurodivergence. The suit states that one student (who has requested to remain unnamed due to fear of backlash) was denied extended time on tests by Deb Alder (the previous Access Services director at Bryn Mawr). Alder allegedly told the student that if she was given extra time, she would “use it to cheat”. The student attempted to engage in advocacy work and informed other students of Alder’s statements, but according to the lawsuit was told by two members of the administration that her actions were practicing “cancel culture.”
The six plaintiffs allege 14 counts of violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and demands changes to be made to the college’s operations including hiring therapists who have experience treating “invisible” disabilities and upgrading the dining system on campus. The complaint also asks for monetary damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
In 2024, posters appeared around Bryn Mawr College in April 2024, encouraging students to scan a QR code and share their experiences if they felt discriminated against by the college due to their disabilities. The posters encouraged these students to “Join the Lawsuit” against Bryn Mawr. Promising protection against legal or academic attacks as well as financial burden, the poster also encouraged students to pass the message along to friends with disabilities. The lawsuit accuses the college of “denied accommodations, discrimination, and unlawful retaliation”. The plaintiffs were not named on this poster.
In 2024, Bi-Co News reached out via the QR code and spoke with two of the plaintiffs, Lauren De Camara and the student who chose to remain anonymous about the lawsuit and their experiences. At the time, they noted that their intention was to “bring about change. Other schools will have to listen too because this is not uncommon for private liberal arts institutions. We want to show schools that they can really be hurt by their own bigotry.”
De Camara is diagnosed with Central Sensitization Syndrome and Post-Concussive Syndrome. She is a former Bryn Mawr student and told the Bi-Co News that she was unable to complete her major as she was not offered adequate accommodations and “was told, in so many words, by admin, including [Kimberly Cassidy] to just go to another school.” The complaint also notes that De Camara faced this reaction from Dean Cheryl Lynn Horsey who, “with blatant disregard for De Camara’s legitimate need for an accommodation, suggested that De Camara seek education elsewhere.”
On August 18, 2025, Bryn Mawr College filed a motion to dismiss all counts of the complaint. The plaintiffs amended their complaint on September 2 and the College moved to dismiss it once again on September 10.
The Bi-Co News has reached out to Access Services and the plaintiffs for further comments.
1 comment
Hi friends,
Thank you for this piece and to the students who spoke up. The Bi-Co’s foundation is trust, concern, and respect, which are not just words on a seal, but how we actually treat each other day by day.
As an alumna, I hope this moment calls us to live those values in real time:
to listen without shutting anyone down,
to act without delay when support is needed,
and to ensure no one in our community is left unseen.
Shakira HC’17