In the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois, Benton Division, Michelle McBee has filed a lawsuit against Wabash Area Development, Inc. The case ID is 3:24-cv-01247 and it was filed on May 8th, 2024. The plaintiff alleges that the defendant discriminated against her based on her disability and failed to accommodate her needs as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA).
McBee was employed as a teacher by Wabash Area Development, Inc., a corporation operating in White County. The plaintiff claims she was unlawfully terminated from her position around April 28, 2023. She had been working for the defendant since January 5, 2023.
The complaint further states that McBee suffers from strokes which affect major life activities such as cognitive function, talking, motor planning, walking, and self-care. Despite these challenges, she asserts that she was able to perform her job functions with reasonable accommodations including gradually increasing shift times and use of a cane to provide mobility because of her partial paralysis. She was later told by a supervisor that they "could no longer proceed with her employment, but could reapply".
The plaintiff is seeking redress for discrimination based on her disability and retaliation for engaging in protected activity under the ADA. She alleges that despite informing the defendant about her rehabilitation period following a stroke in April 2023 and requesting reasonable accommodation upon return to work, she was dismissed from her role.