Why an American teen, who graduated with honours, is now suing her school

Aleysha Ortiz walked across the stage last June as an honour graduate. But now, at 19, she says she can’t read, can’t write, and is failing in college—all because of her former high school.

The teen from Connecticut is taking her alma mater Hartford Public Schools to court, claiming in her $3 million lawsuit that the district pushed her through the system without ever giving her the education she needed.

“My time in Hartford Public Schools was a time that I don’t wish upon anyone,” Ortiz told News8.

But what happened? How did she manage to graduate despite her struggles? What does her lawsuit allege? Here’s a closer look.

A ‘bad child’ in school

From a young age, Aleysha Ortiz struggled with learning difficulties. Born in Puerto Rico, she showed early signs of developmental challenges, something her mother, Carmen Cruz, noticed right away.

“I saw that she had a specific problem she had to deal with,” Cruz told CNN.

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Hoping for better educational support, Cruz moved her family to Connecticut when Aleysha was just five years old. But instead of receiving the help she needed, Ortiz continued to struggle in school.

According to her lawsuit, she had difficulty recognising letters, sounds, and numbers as early as first grade. With no proper intervention, frustration took over, and she started acting out.

“I was the bad child,” Ortiz recalled.

By sixth grade, evaluations revealed that she was still reading at a kindergarten or first-grade level. Her challenges included a speech impediment, dyslexia, ADHD, and a language barrier.

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“Every first day of school, I would tell the teacher I cannot read and write, so please be patient with me. So everyone knew,” Ortiz told News 8.

High school only made things worse. In her sophomore year at Hartford Public High School, Tilda Santiago became her special education teacher and case manager. However, instead of support, Ortiz alleges she faced humiliation.

🚨🇺🇸 SHE GRADUATED WITH HONORS—BUT CAN’T READ OR WRITE AND NOW… SHE’S SUING

Aleysha Ortiz, a Hartford, Connecticut Public Schools graduate, is suing the city, Board of Education, and a former teacher, alleging they ignored her learning disabilities, leaving her unable to read… pic.twitter.com/kFDTaBzxB4

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 28, 2025

The lawsuit claims Santiago would “yell at, belittle, and humiliate [Ortiz] in front of other students and teachers.”

Ortiz also alleges that she was bullied, harassed, and neglected by school staff.

“I would cry knowing the people who had big titles knew this was happening, and no one stepped up to do something about it,” she said.

But how did she graduate high school?

By 11th grade, Aleysha Ortiz realised she could barely hold a pencil, let alone read or write fluently. Frustrated, she began advocating for herself, knowing that if she ever wanted to become a writer, she had to learn.

In her senior year, some teachers suggested she get tested for dyslexia—a learning disability that makes reading difficult by affecting sound recognition and its connection to letters and words.

But how did she manage to graduate high school and even get into college without being able to read or write? According to Ortiz, the answer lies in technology.

She said she was passed from grade to grade throughout elementary and middle school. By the time she reached high school, she had figured out how to use speech-to-text and text-to-speech apps to complete her assignments.

She recorded her classes on her phone, replayed them later, and used her laptop’s voice-to-text tool to look up word meanings. Once she understood the assignment, she would speak her answers, convert them to text, and paste them into her homework.

Ortiz admits that due to her speech impediment and limited vocabulary, the translations were not always accurate. Still, they helped her improve her grades.

By the end of the year, she made a shocking announcement—she had been accepted to the University of Connecticut and planned to start in the fall.

She used the same technology to complete her college application, including writing an essay. With help from others, she navigated the admission process and secured financial aid through grants and scholarships.

“The apps gave me a voice that I never thought I had,” Ortiz told CNN.

The lawsuit

Following her graduation, Ortiz said she is suing her school because she believes the leaders “don’t know what they’re doing and don’t care.”

WATCH: Aleysha Ortiz shares a heart-wrenching testimony of betrayal by the Hartford Public School system. Twelve years in school, and she was left functionally illiterate. This is unacceptable. Our kids deserve better. Read more via @JessikaHarkay: https://t.co/ttMCIgOsxt @CTGOP pic.twitter.com/OOdC0NfKZM

— Dale Chu (@Dale_Chu) December 26, 2024

The lawsuit names the Hartford Board of Education and the City of Hartford, accusing them of negligence. It also targets her special education case manager for negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Ortiz said she wants them to be held accountable for what she endured and is seeking $3 million in compensatory damages. Her mother, Carmen Cruz, told CNN that she is speaking out now to prevent other families from facing the same struggle.

“I’m a very passionate person, and I like to learn,” Ortiz said. “People took that opportunity away from me, and now that I’m in college, I want to take advantage of it. Because this is my education.”

With input from agencies