PHILADELPHIA – A Red Hill man is suing his school district employer alleging that he was demoted from a better-paying position due to his health conditions.
Paul Rochelle filed a complaint on April 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Pennridge School District alleging violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff began his employment with the defendant in May 2017 as a part-time custodian and was promoted to a full-time position at Pennridge High School in June 2018.
The suit states the plaintiff has ADA-qualifying disabilities, including heart issues, an ocular problem and cancer that is currently in remission.
The suit states the plaintiff learned about a position that was available in August 2018 for building manager at an elementary school and he applied. The plaintiff alleges he interviewed for the position and was then offered the position, which paid $6-$7 more an hour than the position he currently held.
The plaintiff allegedly was removed from his new role a few days into training and demoted back to his original position as custodian because of his health condition. The plaintiff alleges was later transferred to another location and subjected to a hostile working environment.
The plaintiff is seeking all reasonable sums due, attorney fees and court costs. The plaintiff is represented by Ari R. Karpf of Karpf, Karpf & Cerutti PC in Bensalem.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:19-CV-01715