The family of a teacher who was fired after asking for an intermittent leave to fight a recurrence of cancer and a special-education teacher who was forced to retire after needing a portable oxygen tank have sued the Douglas County School District.
The disability discrimination lawsuit was filed on behalf of the estate of former fifth-grade teacher Sarah Staebell and retired special-education teacher Elizabeth Rendall by attorneys at the King & Greisen law firm Tuesday.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for lost wages, liquidation damages, punitive damages and attorneys fees.
Staebell was allegedly forced into taking disability retirement after she requested leave under the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 when she needed a second round of chemotherapy. Staebell recently died of colon cancer, the lawsuit says.
Rendall, who suffered breathing problems, was forced into disability retirement when she needed a portable oxygen tank.
IN-DEPTH: Read the full lawsuit against the Douglas County School District
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