Teen with ‘unusual’ medical condition wants gum-chewing banned in class, TN suit says
A ninth grade student in Tennessee said she spends more than half the school day trying to escape the sound of her classmates chewing — be it gum or food.
That’s because the 14-year-old has an “unusual medical impairment” known as misophonia that her lawyers say causes an extreme aversion to certain sounds — in her case the sound of people chewing or eating, both of which are reportedly allowed at L&N Stem Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she attends high school.
“Common sounds for most people are triggers for me that cause extreme discomfort,” she said in federal court documents, adding that the sound of “human eating and chewing of gum” causes a “physical reaction of my body tensing up.”
“I can only focus on those sounds themselves and I must escape from them,” she said. “If I do not escape, I become highly agitated (like a panic attack) and I cannot think or concentrate.”
The student, identified in court filings only as Jane Doe, is suing the Knox County Board of Education and accuses the district of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to accommodate her disorder. Her attorneys said a ban on eating and chewing in her academic classrooms would suffice, but the district has so far refused the request.
A spokesperson for Knox County Schools and Knox County’s law director did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Monday, Feb. 28.
But Glenn Jacobs, mayor of Knox County and a WWE wrestler, has tweeted about the case several times since Feb. 24, calling it “#GumGate” and sharing a 2013 study on the benefits of chewing gum.
“When I was a kid, chewing gum in class could land you in detention,” Jacobs tweeted. “If these folks get their way, it could land you in federal court.”
The student is represented by lawyers Jessica Salonus and Justin Gilbert, who previously sued the school district on behalf of families seeking to overturn the governor’s ban on face mask mandates in schools, The Knoxville News Sentinel reported. They also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the complaint, the student’s misophonia causes an “extreme reaction” to hearing someone chew gum or food. Her attorneys said it’s a rare condition but not unheard of in the courts, including one case where a father lost his parental rights after he thought “chewing louder” would help desensitize his child with misophonia.
Misophonia is a neurological and auditory condition, the complaint states. According to an article published on the Harvard Health blog, it can cause a “fight-or-flight response.”
“People who have misophonia often feel embarrassed and don’t mention it to healthcare providers — and often healthcare providers haven’t heard of it anyway,” Harvard Health reported. “Nonetheless, misophonia is a real disorder and one that seriously compromises functioning, socializing and ultimately mental health.”
In the 14-year-old’s case, her lawyers said the sound of chewing activates a flight response, prompting her to “physically and mentally leav(e) the learning environment entirely.”
The student started ninth grade in the fall of 2021 at L&N Stem Academy, a magnet school that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math, according to its website. About 600 students in grades 9-12 attend the school.
According to the complaint, each teacher at the school reportedly decides whether they’ll allow gum or food in class. The student said chewing is near-constant in some of her classes as a result, and she frequently goes in search of an empty room or sits by herself outside to escape the noise.
Her parents have asked the school to ban gum and food in the classrooms where their daughter is learning. But some teachers have reportedly told them school policy prevents them from instituting such a restriction, the lawsuit states. They also asked the school to make an accommodation for her during what’s known as “Genius Hour,” a study period that overlaps with lunch in which students can sign up for certain activities.
According to the complaint, the assistant principal told them in response that “based on our school policy and school rules we do not prohibit the eating or drinking of food in class.”
The student said she knows a ban on chewing and eating in the classroom would help her because of her previous middle school experience at Episcopal School of Knoxville, a private school for grades K-8 where chewing gum and eating is not allowed in the classroom.
Her lawyers said she “excelled” at that school and was a straight A student. She also has had little trouble in her current math class at L&M Stem Academy, where the teacher similarly bars students from eating or chewing gum in the classroom.
“I know my medical condition is a little unusual,” she said in court documents. “But I know for certain, and from experience, that it can be accommodated. I simply need there to be enforcement of a rule against eating and chewing in classrooms.”
