Former Penn State police officer alleges ‘abusive working environment’ in federal lawsuit
A former Penn State police officer filed a federal lawsuit Thursday that accused the university of refusing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The four count, 20-page lawsuit filed by Michael Strenchock in the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania seeks more than $75,000 and reinstatement.
Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers declined to comment Friday, citing the university’s policy to not comment on pending litigation.
Strenchock, who is diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, was stationed at the university’s Hazleton campus from 2015 until 2018. The department was less than 10 minutes from his Luzerne County home, attorney Kimberly Borland wrote.
The university in 2018 “began to consistently mandate overtime work” and required Strenchock to work at its Scranton and Wilkes-Barre campuses several days per week, Borland wrote. Both are about 50 minutes from Strenchock’s home.
“The combination of the increased, mandated overtime and the new travel requirements often forced (Strenchock) to work one shift in one location, and a following shift to commence within eight hours at the other location,” Borland wrote. “The ... changes substantially and adversely impacted (Strenchock’s) medical condition and health.”
Strenchock in October 2018 requested reduced overtime hours and no overnight shifts. The request was accompanied by a letter from his physician, who recommended he only work a daytime or evening shift for about 40 hours per week, Borland wrote.
After receiving the request, Strenchock’s supervisor told him to “just deal with it,” Borland wrote.
The university did not offer any accommodations, which Borland said created a “severely abusive working environment” and compelled Strenchock to resign in January.
“The actions and omissions of (Penn State) were outrageous, extremely offensive ... and retaliatory against (Strenchock) on a continuing basis,” Borland wrote.
The Penn State Police Officers’ Association in September 2018 issued a “vote of no confidence” in the department’s leadership. About 98% of the group’s members requested a change and cited a working environment “filled with hostility, fear and distrust.”
The association ratified its first contract with the university in March.
This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 11:20 AM.