CHICAGO (AP) - A judge has ordered Chicago Public Schools to pay $1 million to a teacher who sued on grounds she was fired because one of her arms was paralyzed.
The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reports that a U.S. district judge in Chicago entered the judgment for Linda Ortega earlier this week.
The money, among other things, includes compensatory damages because the school board discriminated against Ortega in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Ortega’s lawyer, Deidre Baumann, said she hoped CPS, in her words, “will more seriously treat allegations of discrimination in the future.”
Ortega taught fifth grade at James Hedges Elementary School for about ten years and worked as a substitute teacher before being fired in 2011.
A message Friday seeking comment from a school board lawyer wasn’t returned.
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