Supervisor mocked Ohio officer’s disability, then forced him to quit, lawsuit says

A probationary officer in Ohio was seeking accommodations for a diagnosed medical condition that affected his ability to “express thoughts in written form” but was instead mocked by his supervisor and forced to quit, a federal lawsuit said.

The supervisor of the former Columbus police officer learned of his disability in March, when she overheard a conversation between him and another officer, according to the lawsuit filed Oct. 16. From that day on, she started to make “derogatory remarks” about his written communication skills and mocked his writing in front of people, the complaint against the city of Columbus said.

The city of Columbus declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The officer was hired in November 2023 and was a “satisfactory employee,” according to court documents.

His attorney told WCMH that the officer sustained an injury during combat while in the military, which led to the diagnosis.

In April, weeks after learning about his medical condition, according to the lawsuit, the supervisor placed the officer in remedial report writing training sessions. The trainer, the lawsuit said, found that the officer could successfully complete his work, with minor errors, if he had the proper resources.

The officer requested accommodations that he believed to be reasonable, the lawsuit said. He sought additional time to write his reports and a permanent mentor or coach. According to court documents, he was not provided with those resources.

He was placed on medical leave following a work-related injury at the end of April, the lawsuit said. With an expected return-to-work date of June 5, he took action while on leave.

The officer asked to be transferred to a new supervisor to avoid his current supervisor’s “derogatory behavior,” the lawsuit said. This request was denied.

Human resources also attempted to schedule an evaluation that could have provided the probationary officer with the accommodations he needed, the lawsuit said, but the evaluation never happened.

Upon returning to work on June 5, his supervisor said he was being recommended for termination and advised that he should quit in order to not be fired, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint said the officer resigned “under duress.” He later attempted to rescind his resignation, but the city denied it, according to the lawsuit.

The former officer filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and was given 90 days to sue, according to documents.

The man is seeking damages for lost wages and emotional damages along with a jury trial for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The ADA is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

Employee fired for needing accommodations at work after stroke, court records say

Prosecutor in office romance threatens woman to change story, bruises her, Ohio cops say

Congressional staffer forced to quit ‘hostile’ job because he was gay, lawsuit says