A former employee filed charges of disability discrimination against the University Monday in federal court.
Diane Krumrie TeGantvoort claims her supervisor harassed and discriminated against her after a car crash in 1989 left her disabled.
According to the federal civil complaint, TeGantvoort was a laundry worker for the University from 1987 to 1994. Before her injury, she was promoted to senior utility worker because of her work skills and ethics.
After her injury, her doctor said she must not lift more than 30 pounds. When she returned to the job, her supervisor ignored the weight restriction and later told her “all of her co-workers hated her,” according to the complaint.
TeGantvoort filed a grievance against her supervisor after she was suspended for missing work. According to the complaint, she told the grievance committee she had missed work to see a doctor and had given her boss advance notice. The committee sided with TeGantvoort, and she was reinstated.
After years of TeGantvoort’s complaints and attempts to find other jobs at the University, the school terminated her because there were no jobs she could perform within her disability restrictions, according to the complaint.
Brian Cote, TeGantvoort’s attorney, said he and his client are very confident about the case.
“Mrs. TeGantvoort is as ethical and honest a person as I ever worked with,” he said. “She was a model employee before and after she was hurt.”

— Kamariea Forcier