CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A jury awarded a former Upper Iowa University employee more than $1.1 million in back wages and damages, finding she was wrongly fired by the school while she was dealing with depression and other problems.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (http://bit.ly/n72Ce4 ) reported Lynne Seabrooke, of Elgin, sued Upper Iowa last year in federal court claiming the school violated the Americans with Disabilities Acts when it fired her in 2009. She said she was diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
Seabrooke claimed the university failed to accommodate her problems.
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She said she requested shorter work weeks, less work and a desk near a window for the additional natural light. Instead of meeting her requests, Seabrooke's suit said her supervisors increased her workload, leaving her with double or triple the amount of work given to other registrars.
Upper Iowa argued Seabrooke did not provide medical documentation and never made a specific request as required by the ADA.
"Before Upper Iowa can respond to a request for an accommodation, the request must actually be made," the school's attorneys said in a court filing.
Upper Iowa said Seabrooke was fired because she verbally abused colleagues.
Seabrooke's attorney says she was pleased by the judgment, reached by a jury Sept. 15.
"Lynne is very happy," her attorney, Dale Putnam of Decorah, said. "Obviously she feels very vindicated."
An Upper Iowa attorney says the university will appeal.
Upper Iowa has a residential campus in Fayette, in northeast Iowa, as well as distance education programs based out of centers scattered across the country, an online program and centers in Asia.
Seabrooke, 51, was an assistant registrar of international programs, focusing on Upper Iowa's Malaysia center.
Putnam said she could be awarded more compensation based on anticipated future earnings, but the jury had to first reach a verdict on lost wages.
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