QCC settles with disabled student who sued college

WORCESTER – Quinsigamond Community College recently settled out of court with a student who had sued the school on the grounds it had violated his rights as a disabled person, court records show.

Taylor Pinckney of Leominster, who said in court filings he suffers from schizophrenia, lodged the complaint against the college and one of his professors, Priscilla Underwood, in April in U.S. District Court in Worcester.

The case eventually went to mediation; the mediator, Judge David Hennessy, reported on Dec. 17 the sides had reached a settlement. The case was dismissed a day later.

No details about the settlement were available in court records. In a statement, QCC this week said it was “unable to comment on matters in litigation.”

Pinckney’s attorney, Michaela Weaver, could not be reached for comment.

In his original complaint, Pinckney, who began attending QCC’s computer information systems program in September 2018, said the college had initially granted him several accommodations for his disability, including recorded lectures, copies of class notes, and extended time to take tests and complete assignments.

But Pinckney said Underwood repeatedly refused or offered insufficient versions of those accommodations, such as not providing him assistance with in-class assignments or allowing him to take breaks during class.

The suit also accuses Underwood of expressing disdain for his condition and not taking his disability seriously.

Pinckney’s complaint said his schizophrenia causes him to have cognitive, emotional and learning disabilities, and that without his requested accommodations, “unsurprisingly, his grades suffered as a result.”

Pinckney also accused the college of downplaying his complaints about Underwood, and encouraging him to drop out of the class. He eventually did withdraw from the course, taking a grade of “incomplete,” the lawsuit says.

The suit also claims the college failed to reprimand Underwood even after conducting an investigation of Pinckney’s accusations.

His complaint alleges the defendants violated his rights under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In their own filings in the case, both Underwood and QCC denied Pinckney’s accusations.

Scott O’Connell can be reached at Scott.O’Connell@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottOConnellTG

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: QCC settles with disabled student who sued college

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