Here is today's Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information Network message. Please feel free to share.?

Martha

*Martha K. Gabehart* | "Executive Director
"Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
*Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
*900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

[email protected] | www.kcdcinfo.ks.gov [ [link removed] ]

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This case is about discrimination based on association to someone who has a disability.??

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U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (View as a webpage / Share [ [link removed] ])

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec 19, 2023

CHESAPEAKE MONTESSORI SCHOOL PAYS $85,000 TO SETTLE EEOC DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT
Settles Federal Charges That Montessori School Discriminated Against
Teacher With Caregiver Responsibilities

BALTIMORE ? Chesapeake Montessori Foundation, Inc., operator of the Chesapeake Montessori School in Annapolis, Maryland, will pay over $85,000 to a former teacher to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC?s lawsuit, in 2021 Chesapeake Montessori decided not to renew a longtime teacher?s contract because it assumed that her daughter?s disability, coupled with the COVID pandemic, would undermine the teacher?s focus and commitment to her job. The school elected to instead renew the contract of other teachers with less experience and tenure.

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discriminating against any employee because of their relationship or association with a person with a disability. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (EEOC v. Chesapeake Montessori Foundation, Inc., Case No. 23-cv-02544), after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

In addition to the monetary relief paid to the teacher named in the suit, the consent decree resolving the litigation prohibits future disability discrimination, including based on an association with a disabled person, and requires Chesapeake Montessori to implement non-discrimination policies; training for human resources and management officials; notices to employees about their rights; and compliance monitoring and reporting.

?While most ADA claims involve persons who are disabled, this case is a reminder that the ADA also protects those subjected to an adverse action because of their relationship or association with a person with a disability,? said EEOC Baltimore Field Officer Director Rosemarie Rhodes.

?When Chesapeake Montessori refused to renew this teacher because of misplaced concerns her daughter?s disability would affect her work, it engaged in just the type of unfounded assumptions and stereotyping the ADA?s prohibition on associational discrimination is meant to address,? said Debra Lawrence, EEOC?s Regional Attorney in Philadelphia.

For more information on disability discrimination, please visit [link removed] [ [link removed] ]. For more information on caregiver discrimination, visit [link removed] [ [link removed] ].

The EEOC?s Philadelphia District Office has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and parts of New Jersey and Ohio. Attorneys in the Philadelphia District Office also prosecute discrimination cases in Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov [ [link removed] ]. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates [ [link removed] ].

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EEOC Baltimore Field Office
31 Hopkins Plaza, Suite 1432
Baltimore, MD 21201
TEL 1-800-669-4000 ? TTY (800) 669-6820
ASL Video Phone: (844) 234-5122

Contact
Debra M. Lawrence, Regional Attorney
(410) 801-6691
Thomas Rethage, Senior Trial Attorney
(267) 589-9756
Terrence Carr, Outreach & Education Coordinator
(216) 306-3996

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This message is about the Pacific ADA Center Virtual ADA Conference. Registration is open! 2024 ADA Virtual Conference? View this email in your browser [ [link removed] ]. Registration is now open! 2024 Americans with Disabilities Act Virtual Conference February 27 and 28, 2024 Dates: February 27-28, 2024 Hours: 9:30 am to 3:00 pm each day Location: Online with Zoom Early Bird rate: $180 per person (until January 31, 2024. Use discount code EARLYBIRD to access this rate) Standard rate: $220 per person (starting February 1, 2024)? Register for the 2024 Americans with Disabilities Act Virtual Conference. [ [link removed] ] We are pleased to invite you to our Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) VIRTUAL Conference! This year, we have added a Healthcare and an Employment Track!? Who should attend?? ? Healthcare providers ? Employers and HR professionals ? ADA Coordinators ? Other professionals and service providers Join us online to learn how to comply with the ADA, be more inclusive, and provide higher quality services to people with disabilities. Hear from a variety of experts in the field and enjoy opportunities to network with your peers. The conference will have many different sessions on a wide range of topics, including: ? General Sessions:? o Making communication accessible o Addressing ableism and internal bias ? Employment:? o Common EEOC Complaints o Artificial Intelligence in the workplace o Mental health ? Healthcare:? o Effective communication o Supported decision making o Common barriers and modifications ? State and local government (Title II):? o New ADA Coordinators o Working with the disability community o Handling complaints and grievances o Trail accessibility Interested in being a sponsor for this conference? Visit our sponsorship page [ [link removed] ] for more information. Visit our conference page [ [link removed] ] to learn more and for registration details! Questions about the 2024 Americans with Disabilities Act Virtual Conference? Contact the Pacific ADA Center at [email protected].? Copyright ? 2023 Pacific ADA Center, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have previously expressed an interest in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Our mailing address is: Pacific ADA Center? PO Box 665 Concord, CA 94522-0665

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