A Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teacher has filed suit against the city's Board of Education over alleged discrimination on the basis of HIV status and race.
Jumeck Smith, who teaches fifth grade at Von Humboldt Elementary School, alleges that the school's principal, Alexandra Sophie Guilamo, singled him out because he is Black and HIV-positive.
According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Smith was allegedly "treated less favorably than other similarly situated teachers who are not African American."
Smith's attorney, Chris Cooper, said that Guilamo forced Smith to use a time punch machine far away from his classroom when one was available closer, despite the fact that HIV makes it difficult for him to get around. According to Cooper, Smith was granted five extra minutes to get to the machine to punch in because of his illness, but Guilamo reprimanded him for tardiness anyway.
The complaint goes on to allege that Smith was denied necessary educational equipment like an overhead projector and was forced to work a room that was "unbearably hot." It further states that Guilamo sent Smith "critical and offensive e-mails" and told students that Smith was an incompetent teacher.
CPS did not return an immediate request to comment.
Cooper said that he did not know how his client was certain that the unfavorable treatment was related to his race or HIV-positive status, only that the harassment "came to a head" this year.
"What he believes is that other people who are not HIV-positive can use that machine," Cooper said. "People in 2011 don't go around using racial epithets or saying you can't use that time machine because of your HIV status."
Cooper said the alleged harassment took place over six years.
The suit is directed at Guilamo and the Board of Education. It seeks damages for five different counts, together totaling $1,725,000.