A former custodian has filed a federal lawsuit against Cumberland County Schools, alleging he was fired because his disabilities prevent him from holding a commercial driver’s license.
Michael Ramos filed the complaint Oct. 20 in the Eastern District of North Carolina. He alleges the Board of Education violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it terminated him in August 2024 for not having a CDL.
According to the lawsuit, Ramos began working at Van Story Hills Elementary in 2023 and worked through the 2023-24 school year with no performance issues. When he was hired, an administrator told him he would not be required to get a CDL because of his disabilities, which include hearing impairment and hand tremors.
The district’s policy requires custodians to hold CDLs so they can drive school buses if needed. Ramos’s attorneys argue the rule disproportionately excludes employees with disabilities and that the district failed to provide reasonable accommodations.
Ramos first filed a charge of discrimination with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in February. In July, the federal commission gave him permission to move forward with the lawsuit.
CityView previously reported on a similar lawsuit filed in October 2024 by former custodian James Weathers, who alleged he lost his job at Westover High School because of the same CDL policy.
That case was terminated in federal court in August, though the details of its resolution were not made public.
Ramos’s attorney, Wilson Fong of Greensboro, did not respond to a request for comment as of Thursday afternoon. Neither did officials with Cumberland County Schools.
CityView asked the district whether the CDL requirement for custodians has been reviewed or changed since the Weathers case, and what accommodations are available to employees with disabilities who cannot qualify for a CDL.
CityView will continue to follow updates as this case develops.
Education reporter Dasia Williams can be reached at dwilliams@cityviewnc.com.
