The 69-year-old former Centennial High School baseball coach is suing the Compton Unified School District, alleging he was wrongfully fired in 2022 because of his age and due to his repeated requests to have a key to the baseball field restroom to accommodate him for his use of a colostomy bag after he earlier dealt with colon cancer.
Gerald Pickens’ Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit allegations include discrimination, hostile work environment, harassment, failure to accommodate and to engage in the interactive process. Pickens seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
A school district representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Tuesday.
Pickens was hired as Centennial High’s baseball coach in February 1993 and was a revered face of the school for decades, having won many awards and honors, and he wanted to continue in his job for many years to come, the suit states.
However, Pickens became ill in 2014 and was diagnosed him with colon cancer, according to the suit, which further states that although the plaintiff was “devastated,” he underwent surgery and chemotherapy treatments and continued to work as Centennial’s baseball coach.
Pickens’ treatment was successful and his cancer went into remission for a while, but returned in 2017 in four organs, the suit states. He had life-saving surgery, but had to wear both colostomy and urostomy bags and needed help at times from assistant coaches, the suit states.
Pickens also wanted access to a restroom near the baseball field, which is typically locked when practice occurs after school, so he could empty his colostomy bag, the suit states.
“Making it to the restroom in time to empty his colostomy bag became a source of anxiety and stress for Pickens,” according to the suit, which states the school administration continued refusing over the ensuing years to give him the restroom key, forcing him to walk about 300 yards to the next closet facilities.
Pickens ultimately began soiling his clothes on various occasions because he could not get to a restroom on time and in February 2022, a vice principal became angry because Pickens left his players unsupervised while he went home to change his attire, the suit states. On another day, Pickens had to coach a game in unclean clothing, the suit further alleges.
Pickens hand-delivered a complaint letter to the Compton Unified School District regarding Centennial High’s alleged refusal to accommodate his restroom key request as well as his alternative appeal for a mobile restroom, but nothing was done, the suit alleges.
Pickens was diagnosed with depression in April 2022 and had suicidal thoughts, then in the next month suffered a stroke and was fired, the suit states.
The district hired a new baseball coach at Centennial High in his early 20s in February, according to the suit, which further states that since losing his job, Pickens has suffered past and future wage and benefit losses and also emotional distress.