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Deaf woman says Jefferson County failed to provide interpreter after arrest

Blindfolded woman holding scales Stock image 123RF

A deaf woman alleges authorities in Jefferson County did not provide her with an American Sign Language interpreter when she asked for one after she was arrested and then jailed overnight in October.

Angela Kasinger, 40, said in a tort claim notice filed in Jefferson County on Feb. 22 that authorities violated her civil rights enshrined under state and federal law. Through her Portland-based attorney, Daniel Snyder, she states that she plans to sue the county, alleging discrimination.

Kasinger was arrested on Oct. 27 around 4 p.m. by Warm Springs Police officer Nicholas Ulery, according to a copy of the claim obtained by The Bulletin. She would later plead guilty to one count of reckless driving stemming from this incident, according to court records.

Ulery took Kasinger to the Jefferson County jail, the tort claim states. She remained there overnight and part of the next day. She asked Ulery and jail staff for an interpreter but didn’t get one, she alleges. She was released on Oct. 28.

Read on at https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/deaf-woman-claims-jefferson-county-failed-to-provide-interpreter-after-arrest/article_ec88885e-c774-11ed-8e43-93ffb1554fb3.html.

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Austin Jailer Breaks Elderly Deaf Woman’s Arm After Misunderstanding at Airport

Karen McGee, 71, hyperventilates as police begin moving her out of the airport (screenshot via APD Body Cam Footage)

Karen McGee, a deaf, 71-year-old Florida resident, is considering a lawsuit against the city of Austin after what was supposed to be a three-hour layover at Austin-Berg­strom International Airport turned into an arrest, a weekend in the Travis County Jail, and an arm broken by a jailer and left untreated for three days.

McGee’s ordeal began on the afternoon of Sept. 13, 2022, as she waited for a connecting flight from Austin to Seattle. She was flying alone for the first time in her life and nervous because her hearing aids weren’t working well, so she sat within sight of the ticket desk to see when her plane would begin boarding. After noticing that it hadn’t boarded on time she spoke with a ticket agent and was distressed to learn that she had missed an announcement that her gate had changed. With her plane already gone, she was issued a ticket for a flight leaving that evening.

While McGee waited for this flight, she texted with her cousin and learned there was another plane parked at the same gate, going to the same destination. She approached the ticket agent and asked if she could switch her ticket to this flight. She had trouble hearing the agent’s response but understood the answer was no. She then made the same request to a different agent. Unbeknownst to McGee, this second agent called the police.

Read on at https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2023-03-24/austin-jailer-breaks-elderly-deaf-womans-arm-after-misunderstanding-at-airport.

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Black and Deaf family sues school district alleging abuse and discrimination

A Black and Deaf family has filed a lawsuit against a school district near Seattle with serious allegations of abuse, discrimination, and retaliation. The family prefers to keep their names confidential but wanted the public to be aware of this lawsuit.

I will summarize the complaint.

The plaintiffs are a deaf mother and a deaf grandmother to a seven-year-old girl who is hearing and has developmental disabilities. The family uses ASL at home. The mother authorized the grandmother to act in the place of the child’s biological father regarding educational decisions.

The child attended Lockwood Elementary School within the Northshore School District in the fall of 2021 at the age of six. The majority of the students are white with only 1% of students identifying as Black. The child was placed in a classroom at Lockwood for students with disabilities.

The mother and grandmother wanted to observe the classroom, but the child’s teacher denied the request to observe. The attorney said the school is supposed to provide parents of special education students the opportunity to observe.

Read on at https://www.dailymoth.com/blog/black-and-deaf-family-sues-school-district-alleging-abuse-and-discrimination.

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