• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Monday, April 19, 2021
41 °f
Platte
38 ° Tue
39 ° Wed
43 ° Thu
51 ° Fri
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
No Result
View All Result
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
No Result
View All Result

Park Hill pays out $9,000 to custodial applicant

Valerie Verkamp by Valerie Verkamp
February 15, 2019
in Local News
6
SHARES
140
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

The Park Hill School District and Jesus Ventura have reached a settlement agreement in a discrimination lawsuit against the district.

Ventura, a 53-year-old applicant in the case, accused the district of not hiring him based on his race, color, and national origin.

RelatedNews

Major addition set at Zona Rosa

Trail connection celebrated

Proposed sewer rate hike nixed on split vote

Park Hill has agreed to pay the plaintiff $9,000 for alleged emotional distress damages.

Half of the settlement amount will be paid directly to Ventura, while the remaining $4,500 will be paid to Ventura’s attorney at Sanders & Simpson, PC.

According to the lawsuit, Jesus Ventura applied online for three vacant custodian positions in the Park Hill School District from June 1, 2017 to Aug. 4, 2017. Tiffany Ridge Elementary, Lakeview Middle School, and Park Hill South High School were among the schools where Ventura sought employment opportunities.

Ventura, who had two years of experience as a school custodian, was interviewed by Kenny Page, the custodial manager for the Park Hill School District, on Aug. 4, 2017.

Although all verbal communication was in English, Page allegedly told Ventura to write selected words in English on a piece of paper.

Ventura did as he was instructed and allegedly received affirmation that his application “looked very good,” states the petition for damages.

According to the petition, when Ventura followed up a few days later, Page allegedly told Ventura he did not believe he wrote in English “very good.” That standalone reason allegedly disqualified him from receiving the custodian position. Ventura was told he should enroll in English writing classes, states the lawsuit.

Questioning if writing was a specified job requirement for custodians, Ventura spoke with Dan Heckelbeck in the human resources department at Park Hill. Heckelbeck allegedly said, “No, writing English is not a job requirement.”

After being denied employment, Ventura filed a charge of discrimination with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights. He received a right to sue letter and proceeded with the discrimination lawsuit against the Park Hill School District and Kenny Page.

Because writing English was not a job requirement, Ventura’s attorney, Donald McDonald, claims the district used that reason as a pretext for refusing to hire a suitable candidate. The lawsuit claims Ventura was deprived of the employment opportunity because of his brown skin and national origin.

Ventura is a citizen of the United States and protected from being discriminated against due to his country of origin or ethnicity.

To correct the alleged unlawful employment practices of Park Hill, Ventura sought compensatory and punitive damages.

The suit contended Park Hill’s actions were “malicious, outrageous, calculated toward plaintiff, or were taken in reckless disregard of plaintiff’s statutory rights.” Ventura contends he suffered “substantial damages,” including lost income, employment benefits, and career disruption.

The settlement releases Park Hill and Page from any liability on this discrimination claim. As part of the settlement, Ventura agreed he would not seek employment with the school district.

Tags: Lawsuitspark hill school district
Valerie Verkamp

Valerie Verkamp

Valerie decided she wanted to be a newspaper reporter when she was 28 years old and she successfully convinced the editor of the Platte County Landmark to give it 30 days. It was a unique period of her life when she exuded confidence while fearing she missed her calling after stints as a waitress, bank teller, hotelier, and educator.

Over nearly a decade she has written countless stories on local government, education, lawsuits, community news, crime, and the prison system.

Valerie hails from Park University with a BA in Elementary Education and a post-baccalaureate degree in paralegal studies from Penn Valley Community College. She has received honorable mention for Best Government News Story and joined her Landmark colleagues as recipient of the General Excellence Award in the Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Missouri Press Association.

Related Posts

Proposed sewer rate hike nixed on split vote

Proposed sewer rate hike nixed on split vote

by Debbie Coleman-Topi
April 15, 2021
0

Parkville mayor forced to break tie A proposal to raise sewer rates for residents who use the Parkville sewer system failed during a board of aldermen meeting last Tuesday. The measure, which called for raising rates by six percent, followed...

Judge James Van Amburg

Judge tells city attorney ‘put case on front burner’

by Debbie Coleman-Topi
April 15, 2021
0

'You need to do better,' Van Amburg tells city's legal counsel In a hearing in which the plaintiff accused the city's attorneys of "gamesmanship" when it comes to producing discovery, the Platte County judge in a Sunshine lawsuit once again...

Parkville Speakeasy

A Parkville speakeasy; slow-paced courtroom drama

by Ivan Foley
April 15, 2021
0

Some updated info on the secret not-so-secret club/speakeasy-type operation located through an interior side door of an existing downtown Parkville business that--depending on with whom you speak--may or may not be properly outfitted with all the state and local licenses...

Eight apply to fill circuit judge position

Newest order in Sunshine case favors Jason Maki

by Debbie Coleman-Topi
April 9, 2021
0

Involving previously closed records The judge in an ongoing open records lawsuit has ordered the City of Parkville to produce documents sought by the plaintiff as part of the discovery process. Judge James Van Amburg ordered the city to produce...

Next Post

Group says Parkville retaliating after complaint

Popular News

  • Major subdivision planned along Crooked Road

    Major subdivision planned along Crooked Road

    43 shares
    Share 17 Tweet 11
  • Judge tells city attorney ‘put case on front burner’

    21 shares
    Share 8 Tweet 5
  • A Parkville speakeasy; slow-paced courtroom drama

    20 shares
    Share 8 Tweet 5
  • Major addition set at Zona Rosa

    15 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Say no to new tax

    8 shares
    Share 3 Tweet 2
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Call us at 816-858-0363

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Subscribe Online
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist