A former Butler County Prison maintenance worker is suing the county, claiming he was treated badly and discriminated against because he is elderly and has diabetes.

Jeffrey Sweeney, 58, of Chicora, worked at the Butler County Prison as a maintenance repairman and union steward, according to the lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court. He claims he was unlawfully fired March 18 because the county had a “target” on his back over his condition as an older diabetic.

According to the suit, Sweeney was ultimately fired for not putting his cell phone and “herbal chews” in a locker, thus bringing “contraband” into the jail unsecured.

Sweeney's lawsuit claims that the defendants, the county and the jail, discriminated against him and violated several federal laws, including the Americans with Disability Act, which ensures equal treatment for all handicapped Americans.

William White, county solicitor, didn't respond to a request for comment nor to the merits of Sweeney's claims, and Warden Joe DeMore said he was not aware of the suit.

The county doesn't have a listed attorney, according to court documents. The federal judge in the case, Robert Colville, sent the case to an Alternative Dispute Resolution program, which is an opportunity for confidential problem-solving and quick resolution of workplace issues.

The lawsuit claims that Sweeney normally stored his insulin syringes — which he had to use twice a day — in a work refrigerator for easy access, a practice he claims he did for two years without incident.He claims that he never received training related to handling his medicine. But this routine was disrupted in February during a county walk-through of the jail, according to the suit.The walk-through was made by a county employee, according the suit. And during the search, Sweeney claims in the suit, his insulin syringes and other medication were in plain view, but were not confiscated.But a bottle with tobacco spit in the trash was flagged as contraband and Sweeney was blamed for it, according to the suit.Later that month, William White, county solicitor, in the presence of county human resources employee Lori Altman, told Sweeney the syringes were contraband, according to the suit.Sweeney claims that “they used it as an opportunity to take adverse action against (Sweeney).”Sweeney contends the county continued to home in on his behavior and habits, and on March 3, Sweeney was suspended for bringing “contraband” into the jail, according to the suit.Sweeney claims this move was made without warning. Soon afterward, he was formally warned about the “contraband issue” and for “taking excessive breaks,” according to the suit.“It is without question that other employees within the county prison were late, on occasion, in returning from breaks and they did not face punishment because they were younger, nondisabled individuals,” Sweeney claims.Sweeney took a vacation from March 10 to 17, according to the suit, and when he returned to work he was faced with the new coronavirus precautions.The new procedures threw Sweeney “off his regular routine,” according to the suit, which made him forget to put his cell phone and “herbal chews” in his locker.“These items were in his jacket pocket, in a locked, secure shop, inaccessible to prisoners,” according to the suit.He was soon called into a meeting with, among others, deputy wardens Jennifer Passarelli and Beau Sneddon, according to the suit.They told him that he was being “terminated for bringing contraband into the prison,” the suit claims.Sweeney concludes that “younger, nondisabled employees were not disciplined or terminated for similar violations.”Sweeney is asking a judge to award him damages in excess of $75,000 for loss of income and punitive damages.