In a highly unusual move, a judge has relieved one Maryland woman of $340,000 worth of student loan debt. The reason: the court found that her Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis is preventing her from keeping a job.

Bankruptcy Judge Robert A. Gordon said in his decision that he believed that Carol Todd met the criteria for “undue hardship,” a high standard designed to assess whether or not student loan debt should be forgiven.

Gordon said that Todd pursued higher education to “achieve something closer to a normal life” but ended up strapped by debt. Todd could not repay her loans because her Asperger’s diagnosis left her unable to keep a job, the judge determined.

Todd, who completed a GED at age 39, went on to earn a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees. She also enrolled in law school, reports The Baltimore Sun. To read more click here.

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