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The Washington Post
Judge says parents can sue diocese over abuse reporting
PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania judge has ruled that parents of children in the Roman Catholic Church and survivors of sexual abuse by clergy members can move forward with a lawsuit against the Diocese of Pittsburgh alleging that it has not fulfilled its obligations under state law to report child sexual abusers.
The Washington Post
Advocates for the disabled find fault in many realty websites
It hasn’t gotten much public attention, but here’s something that has the real estate brokerage industry upset: a sudden wave of potentially costly and embarrassing legal challenges to companies’ websites, alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA.
Lawyers representing visually impaired, hearing-impaired and other clients say the vast majority of realty sites don’t offer features needed to allow handicapped individuals to shop for homes and absorb content as other people can. These features include alternative texts accompanying images, transcripts for audiovisual content, descriptive links and resizable text.
chicago tribune
Cracker Barrel settles federal suit over handicapped parking
PITTSBURGH – Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has settled a class-action lawsuit brought by a basketball star who claimed handicapped parking spaces at some restaurants are too steep or otherwise violate federal law.
Sarah Heinzl, of Pittsburgh, plays on the U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team and sued in 2014. She claimed parking spaces at the Robinson Township restaurant were so sloped her wheelchair would roll away before she could get into it so she’d bring along her mother to help whenever she wanted to eat there.
Pittsburgh post gazette
UPMC becomes latest target of disability-rights activist suing over alleged ADA lapses
PITTSBURGH –
UPMC has become the latest target of a disability-rights activist who has retained a Pittsburgh-based law firm to sue nearly two dozen corporations in federal court in recent years over alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In a complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court here, Josie Badger, 34, of Ellwood City claimed that UPMC has not complied with the law in parking lots and pathways of several of its hospitals and clinics.
Marketplace
Businesses face lawsuits over website accessibility
PITTSBURGH – Last fall, Jason McKee was bouncing around business ideas with two friends when they realized something: all three had a family member or friend with a disability, that made it difficult to access the internet.
They soon discovered something else: people with disabilities, specifically those who are blind or visually impaired, were filing Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits against businesses over website accessibility issues. And many of them were winning.
“We all got together and realized the size of this marketplace,” McKee said. “Basically, the entire internet has to be retrofit.”
FORBES
Pittsburgh Class Action Wants Catholic Church To Admit To Sexual Abuse Cover-Up
As the aftermath of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office’s grand jury report into child sexual abuse committed statewide by members of the Roman Catholic Church continues, alleged victims have taken to suing the Church.
But a class action lawsuit – filed by Carlson Lynch of Pittsburgh, Berger Montague of Philadelphia and Nye Peabody of California – differs from others that have been filed since the grand jury report stated a staggering 1,000 children were sexually assaulted by hundreds of priests throughout the state…
nbc – wjac
Child sex abuse survivors file class-action suit against all PA Catholic dioceses
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Survivors of childhood sex abuse have filed a class-action lawsuit against all eight Catholic dioceses in the state.
The lawsuit filed Monday morning aims to have diocese officials meet the obligations as mandatory reporters of childhood sexual abuse.
The lawsuit comes after the release of the grand jury report last month. Attorneys said that of the 301 priests named in the report, only 10 are listed on the state’s Megan’s Law database…
nbc – wpxi
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse suing 8 Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses
PITTSBURGH – Eight Pennsylvania Roman Catholic dioceses and their bishops are being sued by survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
The class action lawsuit filed Monday claims the dioceses failed to meet reporting obligations under Pennsylvania law and continue to conceal perpetrators from the public and law enforcement.
wtae – pittsburgh
Class action lawsuit filed against 8 Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses, including Pittsburgh, Greensburg
PITTSBURGH — Eight Pennsylvania Roman Catholic dioceses, including those in Pittsburgh and Greensburg, are named in a class action lawsuit filed Monday that alleges they didn’t obey state laws requiring them to report child sexual abuse.
“I have not lost faith in my religion,” said the lead plaintiff, Ryan O’Connor. “I have lost faith in the men who are pulling the purse strings.”
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