$1.7 million award in disability case against Lake County

An Oakland federal court jury has awarded a former Lake County juvenile corrections officer $1.7 million in her disability discrimination case against the county.

The jury determined the county did not reasonably accommodate Sharon Leuzinger's disability, an injured wrist that doctors said limited her ability to wrangle with potentially violent juveniles.

Most of the jury's award -- $1.25 million -- was for past mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, anxiety, humiliation, emotional distress, fear, anger and worry. It awarded $1 for future mental suffering and distress.

The award for past and future economic losses was $429,000.

Leuzinger, a Lucerne resident, had worked as a Lake County juvenile hall corrections officer for 16 years, said her Ukiah attorney, Susan Sher.

Her case stems from a 1998 injury suffered when a baseball struck her in the wrist during a softball game with juvenile wards, she said.

The wrist initially healed, but it became increasingly painful over the next several years. In 2002 and 2003, Leuzinger had additional surgeries on her wrist, each time returning to work with her doctor's approval after short medical leaves followed by periods of light duty.

In 2004, Leuzinger took another medical leave, this time for breast cancer. During that absence, the county learned of a doctor's report following her third wrist surgery that said her work activities should be permanently restricted because of the injury.

Leuzinger told them she could continue her job if allowed to work only day shifts, when more officers were on the job and she was less likely to have a physical altercation with a juvenile.

The county, concerned her disability could put a juvenile or other staff members in jeopardy, instead offered her a job transfer, said Sacramento-based attorney Mark Jones, who represented the county.

Leuzinger refused the job as a code enforcement officer.

County officials promised to try and find her another job, but Leuzinger subsequently applied for and was granted a disability retirement, Jones said.

She filed her lawsuit against the county in 2005.

Sher hailed the jury's verdict as a validation of her client's assertion that she could have continued to be a corrections officer despite the injury if the county had made accommodations for her.

"The message I think the jury was sending is they were very upset about the way Miss Leuzinger was treated," she said.

Jones said the county will ask the federal judge to overturn the verdict or grant a new trial. He said the jury's findings were not substantiated by the facts of the case.

If the court denies the motions, Jones said he will file an appeal.

"The case is certainly not over," he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com.