Excited AIDS Victim Back in School; Some Concerned

AIDS victim Ryan White entered the 8th grade today with other students, marking the first time in two years he has been permitted to start the school year with his classmates.

The 14-year-old bounded off a school bus about 10 minutes before the 8 a.m. start of classes at five-year Western High School in the central Indiana town of Russiaville.

There were no protesters or disturbances as he arrived. A parents’ group had fought his admission to classes but abandoned the campaign after losing in court.

When asked how he felt to be going to high school with other students, Ryan said, “It’s OK.” But he added that he was excited about the school year.

Jeanne White said her son was so anxious to get back to school that he began reading his textbooks several days ago.

“He’s excited to go back,” she said. “He has his locker, his lock and his books. I think he’s going to like it.”

Ryan, who contracted acquired immune deficiency syndrome during treatment for hemophilia in 1984, spent most of the last school year studying at home, linked to classrooms by a telephone-computer hookup, while the parents of some classmates tried to get the courts to keep him out of school.

Western High students had mixed reactions about attending school with an AIDS victim.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” freshman Jack Smith said. “It kind of bothers me, but all the scientists and everything say it’s OK for him to come to school.”

“He’s at our school and there’s nothing we can do about it,” junior Doug Westcott said. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep him out of school just to be safe.”

The parents opposing Ryan’s admission to school gave up their court battle recently and say they will work for legislation to ban AIDS victims from schools when the General Assembly convenes next year.