A former Ann Arbor kindergarten teacher and her beloved dog Gracie have been reunited after a summer apart, following what began as a contentious battle over whether Ann Arbor Public Schools or the educator owned the Bernedoodle, used as part of a school therapy dog program.
Charlotte Croson, an attorney who represented Alexandria “Lexi” Fata in a lawsuit filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court in May, confirmed Gracie and Lexi were reunited in mid-August. The suit claimed that Wines Elementary School’s principal stole the dog after Fata had informed the principal she intended to move, as well as a series of missteps in trying to introduce a therapy dog program to the school and after the school PTO spent more than $12,000 for dog training.
Ann Arbor Public Schools’ board approved a settlement agreement in a board meeting on Sept. 11, but the terms of the agreement have not been made public. Croson said she and her co-counsel are satisfied with the outcome.
“Gracie is doing well to our understanding,” Croson said. “She’s happy to be home.”
Fata, in a statement, wrote that their reunion was filled with “lots of happy tears.”
“I am so thrilled and thankful to say that Gracie is back home and reunited with her family. No words can begin to express how happy we are to have her back in our lives. … I want to sincerely thank those that supported me and Gracie along the way. Your care and concern truly helped make a difference in our lives,” she wrote.
Andrew Cluley, a spokesman for Ann Arbor Public Schools, wrote that both parties agreed to confidentiality, and declined to comment on the settlement agreement. The Detroit Free Press has requested the agreement through public records laws.
Therapy dogs are a booming program in Michigan schools, including in Walled Lake, Oxford and Brighton Area Schools, and ownership of therapy dogs can vary by district policy. But Croson said schools should be cautious about setting those policies and about the bonds dogs make with the staff members who take them home at the end of the school day.
“Anytime you give someone a dog, it’s not a thing, it’s not a football,” she said. “It’s a living, breathing being that we’re meant to and we do create close connections with.”
Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@freepress.com.
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