Supreme Court

The Supreme Court decided yesterday to hear a case about whether the nation's public schools and colleges must hire interpreters to help deaf students in their classwork.

The case arises from the University of Texas' appeal of a lower court's ruling that the university, under the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, must pay for the classroom interpreter of a deaf student, Walter Canenisch.

The Court's decision could affect private as well as public schools, because the act prohibits institutions receiving federal aid from discriminating against any "otherwise qualified handicapped in dividual."

Thomas E. Crooks, special assistant to Dean Rosovsky, said yesterday that a ruling in Camenisch's favor would probably not affect Harvard's current policy. "Handicapped students are now supported by some rehabilitation service, state or otherwise," he said, adding that the University already pays for "the occasional student who cannot find help elsewhere."

Crooks said that there is only one deaf student at the present who requires an interpreter in class.