Samantha Cihanowyz, who was hired in 2012 to teach at John P. Faber Elementary School in Dunellen, says in the lawsuit she was discriminated against for her chronic disease
DUNELLEN -- A former special education teacher who has multiple sclerosis is suing the local board of education, claiming she was fired for taking sick days off to get chemotherapy treatment.
Samantha Cihanowyz, who was hired in 2012 to teach at John P. Faber Elementary School in Dunellen, says in the lawsuit she was discriminated against for her chronic disease and the district failed to accommodate her treatments.
Dunellen school district officials did not respond to calls for comment on the suit, which was filed in Middlesex County Superior Court earlier this month.
Cihanowyz was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in June 2013, according to the lawsuit.
After suffering a seizure at school during a fire drill early the next year, the former special education teacher requested to leave early one day a month for five months to visit an oncologist, the suit says. For each visit, she took a fraction of a sick day.
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In December of 2015, Cihanowyz was told by doctors she needed to arrange for two sets of chemotherapy treatments, according to the suit.
Cihanowyz got approval from new principal Gary Lubisco via email for the time off for treatments, which were six weeks apart. Each cycle required a week with one day off and four half-days, according to the lawsuit.
When the teacher returned to school from her second set of treatment sessions on April 11, 2016, Cihanowyz was fired.
Cihanowyz was told by Dunellen School Board, the school was "going in different direction" and eventually was told by interim Superintendent Pio Pennisi she failed to grow over her four years as a teacher, according to the suit.
During her time at the Dunellen schools, where Cihanowyz taught multiple levels from second to seventh grades, she was given exemplary reviews from her superiors until her final two evaluations in the months during her treatment, the lawsuit says.
Cihanowyz would have been eligible for tenure the following school year, according to the suit.
The discrimination suit filed on April 2 seeks damages and court fees.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.