Lawsuit filed against California Area School District over alleged ADA violations
A Donora woman filed a lawsuit in federal court against California Area School District over alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Attorney William James Rogers filed the suit, which also names district Superintendent Michael Sears, on behalf of Roxanne and John Vavases.
According to the lawsuit, Roxanne Vavases had been a sixth-grade teacher in the district for 16 years and had also been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder where patients experience sudden and painful muscle contractions triggered by stress. Treatment can require hospital stays that last between a few days and a month, the suit stated.
In school years prior to 2016, the administration granted her reasonable accommodations for her treatments; however, the lawsuit alleged that when Sears was promoted to superintendent, there was more scrutiny, including harassment and disparate treatment toward Vavases.
The lawsuit claims, in part, that after receiving treatment in the hospital, district officials asked for an “unconditional medical release,” which had never been requested in the past.
Rogers claimed because of that and other stress, Vavases experienced muscle spasms due to stress and had to be taken out of the school and flown to a hospital for treatment.
The couple is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and legal fees.
Nobody was available at the school district to comment.