A San Francisco regulation professor mentioned his service canine was denied entry to a metropolis library, placing him prone to damage as a consequence of his distinctive medical situation, a lawsuit alleges.
The criticism, which was filed in federal court docket in opposition to the town Monday, alleges violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act and California Disabled Persons Act and is searching for damages for emotional misery and cost of legal professional charges.
Clark Freshman, who filed the lawsuit, mentioned he has a coronary heart situation known as an aortic aneurysm, which might trigger his aorta to rupture if his blood stress will get too excessive. Freshman says his service canine can detect if his blood stress will get too excessive so he can take medicine to decrease his blood stress rapidly.
The lawsuit claims that when he was denied entry, he was additionally threatened by the safety guard exterior, who mentioned he would cite the professor for loitering if he did not depart the realm. The alleged threats raised his coronary heart price and elevated his blood stress, Freshman mentioned.
“It was fairly upsetting, fairly scary,” Freshman mentioned. “I felt my pulse and it was fairly excessive. I needed to do some respiration workout routines to settle down.”
“[Freshman] has a coronary heart situation that may trigger him to die if he’s beneath emotional misery,” mentioned his legal professional, Aaron Clefton.
The criticism alleges Freshman was denied entry by a safety guard on the Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch of the San Francisco Public Library as a result of his service canine, Jampa, didn’t have tags displaying she was vaccinated in opposition to rabies.
The guard allegedly advised Freshman {that a} canine had beforehand bitten somebody inside a metropolis building, and all canine homeowners had been now required to indicate proof of rabies vaccination to enter metropolis buildings.
Freshman supplied to indicate digital proof of vaccination to the guard, however he mentioned the guard wouldn’t have a look at it and threatened to quote Freshman with trespassing if he didn’t depart.
When Freshman confirmed up once more on Feb. 7 with printouts of his canine’s vaccination data displaying Jampa had gotten his rabies shot, the guard allegedly advised him the data weren’t enough proof to enter the library along with his canine and once more advised Freshman he would cite him for trespassing if he didn’t depart the library.
Freshman mentioned a part of the explanation he grew to become so nervous—and skilled the signs he did—when the guard threatened to quote him with trespassing was due to previous unhealthy experiences with regulation enforcement.
In 2011, he mentioned, Drug Enforcement Administration and San Francisco law enforcement officials executing a search warrant at his downstairs neighbors’ flat additionally searched his home and handcuffed Freshman. Freshman mentioned his home was not a part of the warrant, that his home was illegally searched and that he was illegally detained.
Clefton declined to say how a lot in damages his shopper is asking for.
“Once we’re served, we are going to evaluation the criticism and reply in court docket,” City Attorney spokesperson Jen Kwart mentioned.
