Arlington County Virginia’s auxiliary police program is presently the
subject of two Americans With Disabilities Act complaints. The
complaints arise from the case of an auxiliary (volunteer) officer
who
suffered a concussion while participating in a police fundraising
event and was terminated due to his concussion. One case is being
handled by the county manager’s office, while the other is being
handled by the US Department of Justice.

The complaints allege that Arlington County ignored the officer’s
request for reasonable accommodation and his offer to provide medical
documentation of fitness for duty, but instead terminated him solely
because of a statement from the officer that, according to his
neurologist, effects from a concussion could occur as much as 18
months following an injury. According to the complaints, Arlington
County neither asked for, nor received, details regarding the
officer’s individual diagnosis or prognosis. Additionally, the police
department did not offer leave or other accommodations short of
termination.

Details of the complaints are available at http://acpddiscriminates.blogspot.com/.

I (Kris) have personally been trying to work with the County and with the Alliance for a couple of years, after it became obvious the Alliance wasn’t really promoting the markets in any way. I’ve been working with the Alliance’s Executive Director, Susan Anderson, since she assumed the title (it was Roni Freeman before that). That would be about October of 2008.

We have talked to Jay Fisette about these issues, but I’m not sure if he’s aware of the latest developments. If you catch him at any of his public appearances, put a word in for us. I know he’s busy, but I hope this is the kind of thing he’d at least make an effort to put right. I think the sad truth is that we’re just a very small blip on the county government scope.

This Sunday will be the last Sunday market unless someone else picks it up. I don’t know that any of the current vendors were given enough warning to be able to do anything to salvage it. I’m looking forward to talking to other vendors this weekend, and I’ll post any news on this site.

If you’ve got a favorite vendor, please keep in touch via this site and I’ll try to let you (and everyone else) know where they might be in the future. I’m hoping it will be at the Courthouse Market, but it doesn’t look great at the moment.

Do you mind if I ask where you happened to hear about this site?

that really sucks! we were at the market last sunday and were wondering where everyone was. is it relocating anywhere? I bought all of my family’s christmas presents there last year. I was really hoping it would bounce back, it adds a lot to that neighborhood. it’s just another parking lot, otherwise. enough of that in arlington co. already!