Lee Under Fire For Alleged Disability Discrimination

[formerlurker]

Congresswoman Under Fire For Alleged Disability Discrimination
By SHAUN HEASLEY
July 18, 2011

A member of Congress who has publicly supported the Americans with Disabilities Act now stands accused of denying reasonable accommodations in the workplace.

The allegation comes in a lawsuit filed by Mona Floyd, who has a visual disability, against her former employer U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. Floyd alleges that during the seven months in 2010 that she worked as legislative director and chief counsel for Jackson Lee, the congresswoman failed to accommodate her disability and made disparaging comments when modifications were requested.

Now Floyd is suing in U.S. District Court, seeking “back and front pay” in addition to compensatory and punitive damages.

According to the suit, Floyd reads 20 to 30 percent slower than average. What’s more, her speed is reduced even further if she’s not given an opportunity to rest her eyes periodically.

Floyd says she was assured prior to being hired to Jackson Lee’s staff that her needs would be accommodated. However, soon after taking the job, Floyd was assigned so much reading that she had to work from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. regularly to keep up, the lawsuit says.

“I don’t care anything about your disability,” the complaint indicates that Jackson Lee told Floyd when the issue was raised.

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/07/18/congresswoman-discrimination/13542/

Such a caring lot those Democrats.

[Gina]

I am probably going to get slammed but if it takes you from 7am to 11pm to read something that an average person would read from 8 to 5, then why should the employer have to be penalized for that? 

I am for equal pay, equal work. 

[NHSparky]

Gina, Queen Shelia has long had a reputation inside the beltway for being an abusive and notoriously bad boss, not to mention being dumber than a bag of hammers.

LINK

[whiffleball]

Gina, Queen Shelia has long had a reputation inside the beltway for being an abusive and notoriously bad boss, not to mention being dumber than a bag of hammers.

LINK

Oh Lord!  SJL aside, I went to that link and saw this one: http://dailycaller.com/2011/07/18/feds-pay-for-study-of-gay-men%E2%80%99s-penis-sizes/

[Eupher]

Gina, Queen Shelia has long had a reputation inside the beltway for being an abusive and notoriously bad boss, not to mention being dumber than a bag of hammers.

LINK

Kinda interesting that Anthony Wiener (remember him?) also had a rep of being an abusive and notoriously bad boss.

And the fact he posted a pic of his junk on a telephone pretty much nails the stupidity and bag of hammers thing down.


Oh, and Wiener was a Dem.....

[Celtic Rose]

I am probably going to get slammed but if it takes you from 7am to 11pm to read something that an average person would read from 8 to 5, then why should the employer have to be penalized for that? 

I am for equal pay, equal work. 

The main issue that I see is that the woman was told that her disability would be accommodated, and then it was not. The law requires a reasonable accommodation, and I don't feel that reducing workload by 50% is reasonable, or fair to the other workers either, but if they knew about her disability, agreed to meet her needs, then did not, I can see her having a case.  The fact that Sheila Lee Jackson was abusive on top of that is just the cherry on the cake.  At the very least, she should be slapped with a discrimination charge (which would be the greatest irony ever).

[formerlurker]

The complaint states that Floyd informed Jackson Lee and her staff on numerous occasions of her vision disability, called “monocular vision, which causes eye fatigue and strain, headaches, reduced speed in reading, reduced concentration and comprehension, and general physical fatigue.”

The disability requires Floyd to take periodic breaks from reading throughout the day. But according to the lawsuit, Jackson Lee did not take appropriate steps to ensure those breaks occurred and to the contrary, piled so much work on Floyd that she often would work seamlessly from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m.

The lawsuit also takes a stab at Jackson Lee’s legislative track record, saying her treatment of Floyd runs contrary to her public support for the Americans with Disabilities Act and the disabled community.

“Representative Jackson Lee’s dismissive response to her staff member’s own disability proved that the Representative was not a true advocate for persons with disabilities, but instead only paid lip service to that constituency,” the lawsuit states.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/171585-former-staffer-sues-jackson-lee-for-discrimination


She only has vision in one eye. 

[thundley4]

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/171585-former-staffer-sues-jackson-lee-for-discrimination


She only has vision in one eye. 

So it takes her twice as long to read something?   

[NHSparky]

So it takes her twice as long to read something?   

No, but because of the single eye vision, depth perception is impossible and eye strain increases markedly over those with normal vision.

And yeah, because Queen Shelia says one thing and does another, she ought to have her ass slammed hard on this one.

[thelaughingman]

Obviously these accusations are racist.

[Wineslob]

No, but because of the single eye vision, depth perception is impossible and eye strain increases markedly over those with normal vision.

And yeah, because Queen Shelia says one thing and does another, she ought to have her ass slammed hard on this one.

You first.