New Source: JusticeNewsFlash.com
12/13/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, US // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan
New York, NY—A Harlem high school teacher who suffers from a heart condition filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming the school’s principle appointed him to five freshman classes, even though his physician requested that he steer clear of stress-provoking freshmen. The teacher, a white observant Jew, also alleged he faced racial and religious discrimination and was blamed for schoolwide issues, as reported by the New York Daily News on Dec. 13, 2010.
Monte Kuhr, 46, sued the New York City Department of Education after Randolph High School Principal Henry Rubio and other administrators apparently disregarded his physician’s request last year to teach only senior classes.
According to the lawsuit, Kuhr wished to teach seniors as opposed to freshman because “upper classes were the source of fewer student behavioral problems.” In the fall of 2009, Kuhr’s requests were ignores and he was appointed to a total of five freshman classes.
The lawsuit claims Kuhr, who underwent triple bypass surgery for heart disease in 2007, faced “high-intensity interactions with misbehaving students.” Last January, a school administrator had to help Kuhr after an in-class disturbance caused him to “double over in pain.”
Kuhr also contended the he received a call from his department in January 2009, in which he was told that Rubio wanted him to resign. The call came before Kuhr took a six-month leave of absence so he could undergo further medical treatment related to surgical complications he experienced.
Kuhr appears to believe the principle gave him all freshman classes as a means of persuading him to resign. Nonetheless, he declared that he would be returning to work after he received proper medical attention.
During the spring of last year, Kuhr’s doctor wrote a second request for him to be given senior classes. Administrators finally appointed Kuhr to senior classes after a fellow teacher agreed to switch positions with him.
Yet the problems did not end there. The lawsuit claims school administrators, who are mostly Hispanic, blamed Kuhr and the only other white observant Jew who worked in his department for problems related to class attendance and management.
Kuhr maintained, “It was a difficult thing for me to do… I’m just a hard-working teacher and hope to continue my teaching career.”
Reports did not specify the extent of damages being sought out through the lawsuit.
The case is underway.
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