[John_W]

There must be at least one poster who knows Louis Shwarz and can learn why he wasn't satisfied with the remedies that were offered? He doesn't hide who he is, it seems he is out and about in TV without any problems communicating. It would be interesting to know how he feels, to have won the battle but lost war as far as anyone else getting to use the Lifelong Learning College.

A 1968 Graduate of Gallaudet University. An advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing rights.

Louis Jay Schwarz, '68 (FL) - Gallaudet University

https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisschwarz



A facebook page, with dozens of photos that look like they were taken with many other villagers. It would be interesting to know what went wrong with him and the college.

Louis Schwarz | Facebook



He even has a twitter page where it appears he does updates about hearing impaired projects and events around the world. Also appears he's involved with many other legal battles, but I didn't read anything this suit.

Louis Schwarz (@DeafBowTie) | Twitter

[2BNTV]

According to the DS, the lawsuit was filed 8 years ago. The person mentioned in the article was Louis Schwarz.

The LLC tried to resolve this lawsuit with many accomodations towards the plaintiff's but the plaintiffs rejected all overtures. The DS indicated the plaintiff's were looking at LLC, as a cash cow. The article also stated that was not the case and it will be closed.

I hope these plantiffs are proud they denied many others the joy of learning and denying other of there jobs. What mean spirited people. IMHO

Shame, shame, shame, on them.

[ditka41]

I am equally disappointed in those who brought the lawsuit and the fact that it was not publicized by our local newspaper. Perhaps it is because doing away with the college would have been a negative to some potential buyers of property here. If so, keeping the lawsuit quiet would be in the same category as the fact that our "gated" community gives a false sense of security. Both are negatives, and we generally don't know about it until too late. How many people would have made the choice to buy here if they knew about either or both in the last eight years? (Please don't flame me with the "due diligence" thing.) The Villages' real estate "promoters" should at least disclose pending situations that are undesirable. Is that the reason that they are not actual real estate agents?

[twopjt]

I'm not a lawyer. Don't even play one on TV.
Started to read: SCHWARZ v. THE VILLAGES CHARTER SCHOOL, INC. | Case No. 5:12-cv-177-Oc-34PRL. | Leagle.com
Hung in there for a while, started to skim. Took a break.
Read, skimmed. Started to skip. Another break.
Skimmed, skipped, had a cocktail.
Finished - was a matter of honor at this point.
My uninformed misinterpreted take at this point is:
If the plaintiffs wanted a solution or 'justice' they would have gone public 8 (or maybe 10) years ago.
If what they really wanted was "compensatory rewards" they'd keep their heads down till they got the check$.
Seems the court has save our clubs from liability(?).
But, the Learning college has significant liability from the -'I'm from the government and I'm here to help you ADA'. And that's to be our sacrifice. Too Bad. Hope there is a long term solution in play.

As an aside.
I worked for a landscaping company for a summer after getting out of the service in 1971, waiting to get back to college. Laying sod at a VA hospital in Wyoming. OSHA made sure we had our hard hats on. It was hot, but no one was ever injured from a sodball falling from the ground onto their head. Thank's again big government.

[manaboutown]

It only takes one (name it) to ruin in for the many. How very sad...

[2BNTV]

I'm not lawyer either but my guess would be they will win the case, with very little monetary award, if any.

Sounds like they cut their nose off to spite their own face.

[Buffalo Jim]

Any idea what the " plaintiffs " legal fees were over the 8 year court battle ? Equally important who paid their legal fees ?
No lawyer is going to wait 8 years for payment . Unlikely that it was taken on a " Contingency " arrangement .

[l2ridehd]

How sad that 30 selfish people can dictate what was available to 100,000 others. The college courses were so cheap because it was set up to not make a profit. And 30 jerks spoiled it for everyone. When are we going to wake up and not let the lawyers rule and ruin us.

And I am a huge supporter of the ADA. I won awards for the work I did hiring handicap employees and providing them with the equipment and tools to be able to work. And to a person they were excellent employees. And I had a sign person in front of every meeting I held with more then 10 people. And then you see things like this. Makes me not so charitable anymore.

I wonder how soon before they make the squares non compliant. That's the next target.

[dillywho]

My questions would be:

How many of the people in the lawsuit actually attended or attempted to attend any of the classes? How many classes out of the hundreds offered?

There are many dance/music classes offered. Why should they have someone to sign for them? Dancing you can learn by simply watching. Music you have to hear or read.

Why is it up to them to assess whether something is a problem for others?

Many of us cannot partake of activities here, but why would that give me the right to make demands that others not participate simply because we can't?

Life is a matter of choices......including for the deaf. Are paramedics, police, store clerks, all doctor/dentist offices, neighbors, required to have signing services for them?

My husband can no longer communicate verbally nor in writing because of a stroke. So? We make the best of it and accept that there are things he cannot participate in because of it. Card games that involve bidding, for instance. Other card, board games, not a problem. Because of other issues, he can no longer play golf. So? Others can, and he simply cheers them on. He would LOVE to continue to play, especially since he was a low handicapper; he has accepted that he cannot. It would never occur to him to set forth something that would cancel it out for everyone else.

I can't afford to play the Championship courses regularly. Does that mean that they should have to let me play them for free like the Executive courses? No, it doesn't; nor should it.

I have no problem with reasonable issues/accommodations. I do have a problem with people who are unreasonable.

Lawsuits over any and everything has gotten completely out of hand, in my opinion.

LIFE HAPPENS....JUST NOT THE SAME FOR EVERYONE

[Taltarzac725]

I tried reading that case and felt like someone trapped in a maze. I wonder how long the Judge took to write this decision?

[CWGUY]

Read Loud Music on Bacall golf course

Then look at where Mr. & Mrs. Schwarz live.


Sumter County Property Appraiser - Joey Hooten - Bushnell, Florida - 352-569-6800 do a property search.

under name enter - Schwarz.

Looks like the 8th. hole on Bacall to me. I might be wrong.

Took awhile to find, but I remembered it from 7 years ago. 12/2009

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by blueash

Everyone should read the court record, all of it. The court specifically held that the ADA did NOT apply in this case, rather it decided that the "section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act ("RA"), 29 U.S.C. � 794, et seq." was the law which may or may not apply in this case.

The court very specifically rejected all claims that the clubs and rec centers etc are subject to the issues raised by the plaintiffs.

In fact the case revolves over the use of Federal Dollars by the Charter School Corporation in its operations. The use of the Federal Dollars makes it subject to Federal regulations. The court left for a jury to decide whether the cost of sign language interpreters was an undue financial burden for the Lifelong Learning College.



They did try using a speech to text Dragon program but it produced a useless output.

The court held that it was up to a jury to decide

.

And contradicting the claim in the paper that they did everything they could to accommodate the needs of the deaf



And that the cost to provide interpreters according to the defense would be



Did the developer get $64,000/yr of benefit by being able to advertise the LLC as a selling point for The Villages? Could the LLC charge the Developer a $64,000 per year fee for using the name and description of that program and then redirect that advertising income to handicapped services? Seems to me like a tiny additional expense for the Morse empire and a significant loss of a marketing tool.

So there it is. Apparently the Charter School Corporation decided not to go to trial and attempt to win the case but rather closed the LLC. I don't know from the record whether that means the plaintiffs are dismissing their suit or intend to go forward seeking damages for their case. It would seem unlikely they would drop the case as then the LLC could simply reopen under the same conditions, unless of course there was also a cash settlement [speculation]

Who cares WHAT government agency? It just seems mean spirited to me. It is kind of like the transgender bathroom issue. Someone wants to make a big deal out of something that really didn't need fixing. It did not appear to me to have involved any compromise attempts on the part of those who brought suit. There are so many of us that because of age have significant hearing loss that this kind of case falls on a lot of pretty deaf ears. And my increasingly cold heart.

[Carla B]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

I tried reading that case and felt like someone trapped in a maze. I wonder how long the Judge took to write this decision?

I'd be grateful if you or another lawyer would return to reading it and provide us with a short synopsis of each pleading and the court's ruling. I imagine our amenity fees were used to pay for defending this unworthy lawsuit? Yep, it is upsetting to have another amenity taken away.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by ditka41

I am equally disappointed in those who brought the lawsuit and the fact that it was not publicized by our local newspaper. Perhaps it is because doing away with the college would have been a negative to some potential buyers of property here. If so, keeping the lawsuit quiet would be in the same category as the fact that our "gated" community gives a false sense of security. Both are negatives, and we generally don't know about it until too late. How many people would have made the choice to buy here if they knew about either or both in the last eight years? (Please don't flame me with the "due diligence" thing.) The Villages' real estate "promoters" should at least disclose pending situations that are undesirable. Is that the reason that they are not actual real estate agents?

OH FOR PETE'S SAKE. Who advertises that the good golf pro is having trouble with his wife and may move? Who tells everyone they had trouble with shingles but thinks it is solved now.

1800 out of 120,000 attended the program at a time. It was not and is not a deal breaker for people lined up to buy a house here. MY OPINION.

[Bonnevie]

well, the plaintiffs are being represented by some high priced lawyers all from major cities, not around here. so there's big bucks being spent. maybe the National Assoc. for the Deaf is helping.

again, it's just a shame it had to come to this. The Villages residents are very caring people and I'm sure would have agreed to some fee adjustments.