Lawsuit by former Sheriff's employee alleges disability discrimination in 2024 firing

A former Lorain County Sheriff's Office employee has sued her former employer, claiming disability discrimination led to her firing two years ago. Debora Coon, of Amherst, sued the Lorain County Sheriff's Office and her former supervisor in the records department, Alyson Jancsura, in Common Pleas Court on April 29. She alleged disability discrimination, retaliation and unlawful aiding/abetting/inciting discrimination. The lawsuit seeks more than $25,000 each in compensatory and punitive damages and is assigned to Judge Donna Freeman. No hearing dates have been set. Sheriff Jack Hall said attorneys for the County Risk Sharing Authority, the county's insurance carrier, probably would handle the matter. Coon was a clerical specialist under then-sheriff Phil Stammitti from September 2023 to March 2024, when Jancsura fired her. Coon's lawsuit said she has multiple sclerosis or MS, a chronic condition affecting the central nervous system, but that she was able to do her job with reasonable accommodations. Coon's lawsuit said she asked for time off in early January 2024 to deal with her condition. The request was granted, and her leave extended through Jan. 30 that year. Coon then alleged she was blamed for missing files and fired March 4, 2024 — though her lawsuit alleges she actually was fired for taking time off to deal with her condition. Coon "could not have been responsible for the missing files because she was not present at work when the files allegedly went missing" on Jan. 26, according to her lawsuit. Hall said Thursday he supported Jancsura and from what he knew of the case, she took appropriate action.Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.