Worcester Public Schools teachers with COVID health concerns seeking accommodations ahead of hybrid learning, discrimination complaint filed
Updated Jan 03, 2021;
Dennis Staples, who teaches automotive technology at Worcester Technical High School, has been watching coronavirus case counts remain high in Massachusetts this winter.
Staples is among educators in Worcester who are looking for accommodations as the start date for hybrid learning approaches this month. Because of a breathing disorder, Staples said he’s worried about contracting the virus in the classroom, where students and teachers historically work closely together.
“It is physically impossible to social distance in a shop setting because of the tools, the equipment,” Staples said. “We work basically hand-to-hand with the students, so the 6-feet thing is not going to work.”