BATON ROUGE – A deaf individual alleges his disability was not accommodated at Livingston Parish Prison.
Edison Jhon Alba-Cruz filed a complaint on Feb. 2 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana against Sheriff Jason Ard and Sheriff Toney Edwards alleging that they violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that due to defendants' discrimination he was unable to meaningfully engage in the prison services at Livingston Parish Prison and has suffered a loss of freedom of movement, invasion of his civil rights and emotional distress. The plaintiff holds Ard and Edwards responsible because the defendants allegedly failed and refused to provide sign language interpreter, auxiliary aids and services necessary to ensure effective communication regarding complex legal matters.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory damages, plus interest, attorneys’ fees and all other relief that the court deems necessary and appropriate. He is represented by Andrew D. Bizer, Garret S. DeReus and Marc P. Florman of Bizer & DeReus in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana Case number 3:17-cv-00062