Civil Rights
May 19, 2026
Individual law professor could be liable under Unruh Act, panel finds
Experts said the ruling could reshape disability for volunteers and educators. UC Irvine School of Law professor Rachel Moran said the court left unresolved whether volunteers can be personally liable under California's Unruh Act, raising novel questions about disability discrimination and volunteer immunity laws.
A California appeals court revived a former Peoples College of Law student's disability-discrimination lawsuit against attorney and volunteer professor Marco F. Fortades, finding he may be held liable as a representative of a business and that the trial judge improperly dismissed the case on the eve of trial without giving the plaintiff adequate notice or opportunity to respond.
The unpublished opinion delivered by Presiding Justice Gonzalo C. Martinez of the 2nd District Cou...
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