Morris* came to the Center after reaching what looked to be a dead end in dealing with a local school district and an unscrupulous and hostile supervisor. Prior to his difficulties, he thought he’d found his niche as a substitute school bus driver. Although he suffers from painful immune system disorders, he was able to enjoy his work as a driver and the district seemed to value his services.
One major complication for Morris is that he is on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for his health problems. It’s terrific insurance, except that if he were to collect more than a specified amount of compensation, he would lose his eligibility for SSDI, probably permanently. So, the arrangement he reached with the school district essentially involved him donating back to the district any compensation earned above that allowed each month by SSDI.
Another problem is that Morris and his supervisor didn’t get along. At one point, the supervisor fired him, only to have the superintendent intervene to stop the firing and instruct the supervisor to behave himself. That uneasy truce ended when the superintendent left, and a new superintendent was hired. Morris decided the time had come to leave the school district and because his work history was exemplary, he quickly found a job with a new school district. Perhaps in retaliation, though, the former supervisor apparently connived to overpay Morris for his last month’s work. That posed a huge problem for Morris, as cashing the check would make him ineligible for the health benefits he so badly needed. He called the new superintendent, but the superintendent was oblivious to the prior working arrangement and afraid that if he withheld earned compensation from a driver, he would get the district in trouble with the drivers’ union.
That’s when Morris came to the Center for Justice seeking help. A CFJ volunteer social worker solved the payment problem with a single phone call. But then came another complication. Morris saw the hand of his former supervisor at work when his new employer suddenly asked him to take a drug test. Because he was on a prescription pain medication to deal with the pain of his physical affliction, he was mortified, as he was sure to flunk the drug test. The Center volunteer calmed him down and explained that all he needed was a letter from his physician explaining the medicine was prescribed. His problems now solved, Morris is happily at work with his new employer, with his insurance and peace of mind.
*Not his real name.
