Bloomfield Custodian Should Have Been Paid More, Family Says: Report

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Bloomfield family that launched a lawsuit against the local school district two years ago continues to allege that their case is a frustrating example of the hurdles that people with intellectual disabilities face in the workplace, a report says.

David Quinlan, 71, and two of his family members sued the Bloomfield Public School District in 2022. They alleged that – despite putting in eight-hour days over a 35 year-period – he was treated as a minimum wage, per-diem worker, keeping him from health benefits, a pension, vacation days or sick leave, NJ.com reported.

The district denied any wrongdoing in legal filings, claiming that Quinlan was paid on a day-to-day basis based on the number of hours he worked, and as a per-diem employee, he wasn’t entitled to benefits or paid leave.

Quinlan was hospitalized with a bladder infection in 2020 and didn’t return to work after his illness. Administrators denied that he was fired, saying that he voluntarily resigned, NJ.com reported. Read the full article here.

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