Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
A former Santa Barbara Unified School District employee filed a lawsuit against the district last month alleging disability harassment and retaliation.
Todd Ryckman, the former chief educational technology officer, filed on June 13 with his attorneys from the Rancho Cucamonga-based Myers Law Group.
The complaint for damages include disability discrimination, failure to accommodate a disability, failure to engage in the interactive process, violation of the California Family Rights Act, a hostile work environment, and more. The suit demads a jury trial.
Ryckman was employed by the district from 1997 to October of 2021 and worked as the Chief Educational Technology Officer since July 2012. The complaint states he suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety and informed Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado of his illnesses.
The lawsuit states Maldonado criticized Ryckman for using available vacation time and during one meeting stated, “I don’t want to hear it, everyone has problems.”
The suit details multiple meetings and interactions that Ryckman felt were harassing and out of retaliation. In October he resigned citing constructive termination, a California law referring to difficult working conditions that make an employee feel forced to resign.
In 2019, Ryckman was accused of harassment himself by two former employees. Although after separate investigations, Ryckman was fully cleared of all accusations, reports The Independent.
I gotta say, as a non-fan of Hilda and all the stuff she’s done that I feel is hurting our local educational system, that this looks pretty marginal as a legitimate lawsuit. “You have OCD and “anxiety”? That’s fine, but how is that keeping you from doing your job exactly? If you really have a diagnosis you should be seeing a doctor and/or psychologist and it’s your responsibility to get treated. We don’t know all the details of course, but having read the recent Indy (or Noozhawk) article I’d say this guy couldn’t handle his job and deserved to be let go. You can’t keep getting paid if you aren’t able to work, as hired, on a daily basis. Suing the schools is just a big waste of money for our kids’ education going forward. I’m sure a few will hate my point of view. All good.
I don’t think we know enough to render a judgement. The details matter a great deal in a case like this.
I’m sure there is more to the story but I recall hearing this guys name come up in discussion with some parents. They definitely felt he was pretty incompetent. Disability or not, if you can’t do your job you shouldn’t be doing your job.
You don’t know the details, as you’ve stated, so maybe be quiet.
Armchair experience in everything, according to them.
Alex, I have an informed opinion regarding what the plaintiff claimed – himself – as his disabilities. I stated it, with a basis of experience as a physician. You can too if you know anything at all, if you want, or you can stay quiet.
Basic:
“We don’t know all the details of course.”
If you know that you don’t know the details and you make a bunch of assumptions based on some minimal personal experience from, whenever, then you must be a really poor diagnostician.
On the net, nobody knows you’re a dog. You can claim armchair expertise in anything, regardless of the fact that your opinions don’t correspond to actual domain knowledge.
ok so if the guy is incompetent and can’t do his job, then he should be removed from the job. disabilities don’t protect you from this. i know. i have a disability. a very invisible one until it happens…then not so invisible. sever PTSD can be crippling and devastating.but I don’t use that diagnosis as a way to get and keep a job that i’m not doing well.
Zero, the operative word here is “if.”
That’ll be for a jury to decide–one that has all of the facts and information.
Basic, I’d think the general idea behind the APA’s Goldwater rule takes precedence.
Also at issue are LEGAL questions of ADA accommodations, not just medical questions.
BASIC, you obviously aren’t knowledgeable regarding the scope of mental health diagnoses, including “anxiety,” which could involve a whole range of sub-diagnoses and debilitating symptoms. Why even make these unsupportive and judgmental comments?
No 11:05, I am very well aware of the scope of mental illness actually. Every medical student in the U.S. has a Psychiatry rotation, usually in 3rd year of med school, as was the case for me. Inpatient, Outpatient, everything from Schizophrenia to OCD to 5150’s to Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depression, Personality Disorders- all the DSM diagnoses. We took patient histories, prescribed treatments, learned about side effects of medications. You name it. I based my previous comment on my experience.
Yet another piece of evidence that supports the claim that SBUSD is mismanaged at all levels, and has been for many years.
Todd was extremely competent. He could do all the jobs of those he managed and really cared about them also. I’m a former coworker.
BRD, that’s so weird though, because an anonymous internet doctor has already assessed his disability and determined that he has filed a baseless lawsuit and was incompetent and should be fired.
I guess you didn’t see that post or you wouldn’t dare to contradict a self proclaimed physician’s message board medicine.
Hilda has GOT to go.
All wrong once again AlexBlue, but way to keep hassling. “Whenever”? No, it’s called professional training, not “whenever”, dude. There’s a difference and you apparently don’t understand that.
Basic, you already said you don’t know the details–but you are diagnosing without the relevant information on the internet. But keep driving your clown car off the cliff, by all means.
Nice!
What in the world are you referring to?
The previous comment by Alex, it’s sarcasm, you didn’t get that? Don’t bother commenting then!
Man, you just don’t understand how to use the interactive web. You’re end up just adding noise, even disregarding the fact that your comment contents are usually somewhat odoriferous.
The SBUSD is horrendous with regard to their treatment of people with “invisible” disabilities (they would probably do the same to those with obvious disabilities if not for fear of public shaming and looking like a jerk). They exacerbate or CAUSE some student mental health problems, by their years of emotional abuse – blatant contempt for the inconvenience caused by the disability, punishing the student for the disability, inflicting non-stop catch 22 situations, refusal to help or follow IEPs, gaslighting, mocking, etc. It would defy logic if this culture didn’t extend to their treatment of employees.
County gov’t. ain’t so great either, in some departments at least.
Let him sue the SBUSD, no one wins. Kids lose. Going with generalized anxiety disorder as your disability is a big ask for computer guy. LOL. He’ll need an expensive lawyer. I’ve stated my opinion. That’s all it is and that’s what Edhat is about….comments.