BATON ROUGE – A deaf Shreveport man alleges that he was not provided auxiliary aides during his probation.
Stacy Kelle Hughes filed a complaint on May 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana against the state of Louisiana, through the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and Secretary James LeBlanc alleging violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff is deaf and communicates primarily in American Sign Language and that the defendants discriminated against him by failing and/or refusing to provide auxiliary aids or services. The plaintiff alleges that as a result of being unable to engage meaningfully probation services, plaintiff suffered loss of educational opportunities, loss of liberty, humiliation, fear, anxiety, isolation, guilt and emotional distress.
The plaintiff holds the state of Louisiana, through the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and LeBlanc responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to provide a sign language interpreter or other auxiliary aid to assist plaintiff in determining how he would attend his probation service and what his obligations were.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory and nominal damages, attorneys’ fees, costs and interest and all other necessary and appropriate relief. 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-00322