LAUSD Hit With Verdict Over Failed Accommodations

Case Background

A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury returned a split verdict in the employment lawsuit brought by Eric Jones, a former employee, against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The core of the dispute centered on allegations that LAUSD had failed to provide Jones with necessary accommodations for his disability a chronic skin condition and a separate workplace shoulder injury and later retaliated against him for requesting assistance. The case, filed in November 2020, proceeded to trial with Jones seeking damages related to his lost earnings, emotional distress, and career setbacks.

Cause

Jones’s initial complaint, which he later amended, stemmed from alleged violations of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). He accused LAUSD of disability discrimination, specifically citing a failure to engage in the legally mandated interactive process and a failure to provide reasonable accommodations for his medical conditions. His claims broadened to include retaliation, arguing that after he requested accommodations, the district subjected him to an adverse employment action. He also claimed the district failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the discrimination and retaliation from occurring. The claims were rooted in the fundamental right of an employee with a disability to workplace accommodations and protection from punitive action for making such requests.

Injury

The alleged injuries spanned both physical and emotional harm, in addition to financial loss. Jones claimed he suffered from emotional distress and mental anguish as a direct result of the district’s actions, which included the adverse employment action he described. Furthermore, his claims addressed a prior shoulder injury sustained at work, for which he had also sought accommodation, alleging that the district’s lack of action or improper handling of his accommodation requests exacerbated his conditi