Lemoore School District Agrees to Monitoring and Training After State Investigation into Alleged Disability Discrimination Against Employee

SACRAMENTO – The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) today announced reaching a settlement with the Lemoore Union Elementary School District in Kings County to resolve allegations that a district employee was subjected to disability discrimination in the workplace. As part of the settlement, the district will pay a little over $90,000 to the employee and submit to monitoring by the state to ensure future disability complaints are treated appropriately.

“Nobody should ever have to worry about losing their job because they ask for time off to take care of their health,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “Whether it’s for a disability or any serious health condition, California has protections in place for workers who need support. Through this settlement, the Lemoore Union Elementary School District is taking important action to comply with the law and safeguard the rights of workers with disabilities.”

Let Go After Asking for Time Off

In 2023, CRD received a complaint against the Lemoore Union Elementary School District from a worker who alleged retaliation and disability discrimination. According to the complaint, the worker said that that they were reprimanded in a performance review by their supervisor and eventually let go after sharing that they would need time off to get treatment for a disability. In addition, the worker said that their job evaluations had no mention of performance issues until after making the request for time off. Although the employee said that they were ultimately allowed some leave, they alleged that their contract was not renewed in retaliation for requesting leave and as a result of the district’s failure to accommodate the employee’s disability.

State Investigation Results in Settlement

After conducting an initial investigation, CRD provided the worker and the school district an opportunity to voluntarily resolve the allegations through mediation. As a result of the settlement, the school district, without admitting liability, will:

• Provide mandatory training for all supervisors and managers on how to handle disability accommodation requests, with an emphasis on disabilities that may be hidden or non-visible.
• Develop and — following review by CRD — circulate guidance to all supervisors and managers detailing the process for addressing employee requests for reasonable accommodations.
• Report to CRD on how complaints by district staff of disability discrimination have been handled for a period of three school years.
• Pay $90,705 to the individual complainant for lost wages and other harms.

If you or someone you know has experienced employment discrimination, CRD may be able to assist you through its complaint process. The department also provides general information and factsheets online about civil rights protections, including on employment discrimination and harassment based on disability and family care and medical leave.

The settlement announced today was secured by Senior Staff Counsel Lily Weaver, Senior Staff Counsel Shilpa Ram, and Assistant Chief Counsel Asaf Orr. It was mediated by Attorney IV Mediator Mary Leichliter.

A copy of the settlement is available here.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. CRD’s mission is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs and activities, and from hate violence and human trafficking. For more information, visit calcivilrights.ca.gov.

View Press Release (PDF) Lemoore School District Agrees to Monitoring and Training After State Investigation into Alleged Disability Discrimination Against Employee