To Whom It May Concern:
Cc: Judge Matthew Headley, Head Probation Officer Teresa Parish, Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter, Public Defender Melissa Jackman-Hamlin,
RE: Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
My name is Michael Johnson and I am writing in regard to what I consider outrageous treatment that I am receiving via the Putnam County Probation Department. To get right to the point, I am legally disabled and I am being discriminated upon by said probation department due to my disability. I have not received the equal treatment which is guaranteed to me by law. I have repeatedly requested to have a sign-language interpreter present during all legal proceedings and repeatedly this Constitutional right has been denied to me. It is appalling that one whom has been trusted with the job of Head Probation Officer be so lacking in knowledge and procedures that are written in our very Constitution.
I have been legally deaf since I was, I believe, 5 or 6 years old. I have attended Indiana School for the Deaf, I have received a disability check due to my hearing from the government, and I have received sign-language interpreters for furthering my education at Indiana State University. Nowhere have I ever been put in such an insulting position regarding my disability. I have been told by the probation department that I “read lips well enough” and that because of this no interpreter is required? Then accused of lying about talking to the Prosecutor? This is just insulting. What kind of utter ignorance is this? They are neither qualified, nor entitled to assume they know what I can and cannot do and have crossed the boundaries of their job description.
I am intending to contact the ACLU regarding this situation, because this is ridiculous. Putnam County is employing criminals to our very Justice system that we are supposed to trust to carry out the law. Hypocrisy? I think so. I have taken many steps and have made many attempts to receive what is legally entitled to me, but it seems that Putnam County is determined to have a lawsuit in their hands. I have been discriminated against, insulted, humiliated, and I will not stand for it anymore.
Cc: Judge Matthew Headley, Head Probation Officer Teresa Parish, Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter, Public Defender Melissa Jackman-Hamlin,
RE: Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
My name is Michael Johnson and I am writing in regard to what I consider outrageous treatment that I am receiving via the Putnam County Probation Department. To get right to the point, I am legally disabled and I am being discriminated upon by said probation department due to my disability. I have not received the equal treatment which is guaranteed to me by law. I have repeatedly requested to have a sign-language interpreter present during all legal proceedings and repeatedly this Constitutional right has been denied to me. It is appalling that one whom has been trusted with the job of Head Probation Officer be so lacking in knowledge and procedures that are written in our very Constitution.
I have been legally deaf since I was, I believe, 5 or 6 years old. I have attended Indiana School for the Deaf, I have received a disability check due to my hearing from the government, and I have received sign-language interpreters for furthering my education at Indiana State University. Nowhere have I ever been put in such an insulting position regarding my disability. I have been told by the probation department that I “read lips well enough” and that because of this no interpreter is required? Then accused of lying about talking to the Prosecutor? This is just insulting. What kind of utter ignorance is this? They are neither qualified, nor entitled to assume they know what I can and cannot do and have crossed the boundaries of their job description.
I am intending to contact the ACLU regarding this situation, because this is ridiculous. Putnam County is employing criminals to our very Justice system that we are supposed to trust to carry out the law. Hypocrisy? I think so. I have taken many steps and have made many attempts to receive what is legally entitled to me, but it seems that Putnam County is determined to have a lawsuit in their hands. I have been discriminated against, insulted, humiliated, and I will not stand for it anymore.
