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Federal judge sides with CU in former student’s retaliation lawsuit
A federal judge concluded last month that a former University of Colorado medical student failed to establish the school unlawfully retaliated against her, as the evidence instead showed faculty raised numerous concerns about her conduct over the years. Mindy Szeto was enrolled in CU’s School of Medicine between 2014 and 2020, through a program combining…
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Federal judge green-lights former inmate’s disability discrimination claim for trial
A federal judge last month agreed a jury would decide whether the Colorado Department of Corrections intentionally discriminated against an incarcerated man by imposing restrictions on him after he failed to report to work because of his disability. However, U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang observed plaintiff Charles Williams is not entitled to most…
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Appeals court warns against questioning service animals’ status based on ‘suspicions’
Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday warned that public entities may not ask a disabled person to provide more information about their service animal than what federal regulations allow, regardless of whether they harbor “legitimate suspicions” about the animal’s status. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals determined it was a “close call” whether Dustin…
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Federal judge defends $3.5M verdict in disability discrimination case
A federal judge this month rejected an attempt by the Colorado Department of Corrections to slash a jury’s $3.5 million award to an incarcerated man who missed thousands of meals, defecated on himself and endured physical pain because prison officials did not accommodate his disability in violation of federal law. U.S. District Court Judge S.…
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Federal judge defends $3.5M verdict in disability discrimination case
A federal judge this month rejected an attempt by the Colorado Department of Corrections to slash a jury’s $3.5 million award to an incarcerated man who missed thousands of meals, defecated on himself and endured physical pain because prison officials did not accommodate his disability in violation of federal law. U.S. District Court Judge S.…
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Federal judge declines to dismiss suit against Timnath officers who used force on disabled child
Two Timnath police officers may be sued for allegedly violating the rights of a disabled 11-year-old by forcing him to the ground and handcuffing him as school staff were in the middle of de-escalation, a federal judge ruled last month. Officers Andrew Tope and Gabriela Ponce were stationed at Bethke Elementary School as school resource…
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Federal judge declines to order UNC to return disabled student to campus
A federal judge last week declined to order the University of Northern Colorado to return a disabled student to campus for the 2023-2024 school year, weeks after the school suspended him for violating the code of conduct. In July, a UNC official determined Jackson Vollmer was responsible for defying a no-contact order the school issued…
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Federal judge dismisses former law student’s retaliation claims against Denver County Court
A federal judge has dismissed a former law student’s claims against the Denver County Court, acknowledging by all accounts the student’s semester in the courthouse did not go well, but that his allegations of disability-related retaliation were not viable. Ethan West-Helmle graduated from the University of Denver’s law school several months after failing an externship…
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Federal judge tosses age, disability discrimination claims against Arvada for employee’s firing
A former Arvada city employee has not shown that his termination after 32 years was related to his age or perceived disability, a federal judge determined last month, noting the plaintiff himself even walked back his own allegations of discrimination. Brian Williams worked in the streets division of the Arvada Public Works Department between 1988…