In June 2013, at the end of the 2012-2013 school year, plaintiff Paula Steuer, 78, a substitute teacher, was told that she would no longer be used. Steuer claimed that she was terminated because of her age and/or a perception that she was disabled. Steuer sued the South San Francisco Unified School District, alleging that the school district’s actions constituted age discrimination and perceived disability discrimination. Plaintiff’s counsel contended that Steuer worked steadily as a substitute teacher since the 1990s, working more than part-time off and on at some of the South San Francisco Unified School District campuses, mainly at the high schools. However, counsel argued that the school district perceived Steuer as being too frail to be a substitute teacher. Counsel also contended that teachers told Steuer that principals were saying that she was “too frail to teach” and that she would be “knocked down by a kid.” Defense counsel argued that the decision to not use Steuer was made by the school district’s office administrator, the human resources director, and that it was based on complaints that were made over several years about how Steuer was unable to control students who acted out and how she tended to fall asleep at her desk when she was with other students., Steuer sought recovery for her past and future lost wages. She also claimed that she truly enjoyed working with children and that it was tough for her not to continue doing so. She alleged that as a result, she suffers from emotional distress. Thus, Steuer also sought recovery of general damages for her emotional distress.