Child prodigy, 13, threatens to sue his university for banning him from field trip to South Africa

Colin Carlson is studying ecology and evolutionary biology as well as environmental studies at the University of Connecticut.

He claims he has been told he cannot take a particular class that includes summer field work in South Africa because he is too young.

The student has filed an age discrimination claim with the university and U.S. Department of Education, which is investigating.

"I'm losing time in my four-year plan for college," he said. "They're upsetting the framework of one of my majors."

Michael Kirk, a spokesman for the university, would not comment on the specific case but said that generally, safety is the university's first concern when travel is involved.

Jessica Offir, Colin's mother, has offered to release the university from liability and accompany her son as a chaperone at her own expense.

Her son began taking psychology, history and other courses at the University of Connecticut when he was 9. He graduated from Stanford University Online High School at age 11, and soon after enrolled full-time at the University of Connecticut.

"I'm actually like any other student," he said. "The faculty and students have better things to do than worry about a 13-year-old holding his own.

"Biology is fundamentally about the diversity of life, with a focus across the planet."

Colin says the course in conservation work in South Africa would have been critical to his studies and the rejection has forced him to change his thesis plans.

He said that once he's completed his undergraduate studies, he wants a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology and a degree in environmental law for a career in conservation science. He intends to earn the two degrees by age 22.

Carl Schlichting, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who has taught Colin in two courses, said he is not only an outstanding student, but is unusually certain for a 13-year-old about where he is headed professionally.

"He has very strong ideas about what he wants to do," he said. "His self-confidence is very high. It's a very unusual package to see the intellect and confidence at that age."


/Telegraph.co.uk/