Hispanic Middle School Student: Case Study

In this case study Jeanette, is a Hispanic middle school student who has been referred to the school counselor for academic and social support by her homeroom teacher. Jeanette’s grades are declining and she is also experiencing social issues. There have been rumors that she is a lesbian, a claim which Jeanette denies. However, girls at school do not feel comfortable dressing for gym in front of her and her mother found a love letter from another female. The counselor has had a conversation with Jeanette where she denied being homosexual. However, when the second referral from the teacher about Jeanette’s sexuality was given to the counselor she immediately asked to be removed from Jeanette’s case due to a religious conflict. There are numerous ethical and legal concerns related to this
Professional School Counselors have a primary obligation to the students to treat them with dignity and respect and as unique individuals (ASCA, 2010). The initial meeting between the counselor and the student was at the request of the student’s mother. In my opinion the mother asked the counselor to seek information that was confidential. The counselor did seek the information and reported back to the parent with what she found. I understand that it is the counselor’s responsibility to provide parents/guardians with accurate, comprehensive information in an objective and caring manner, as is appropriate and consistent with ethical responsibilities to the student (ASCA, 2010). However, in this situation I do not feel that sharing the information was appropriate and violated the student’s right to privacy. The mother should have handled that situation at home. She essentially asked the counselor to spy on her daughter and report the information back to her. It was wrong for the parent to ask this of the counselor and it was even