Pace sues advocacy group over name use
Pace is suing three women for copying its name in an organization advocating for the disabled that is critical of how the agency handles paratransit service.
The lawsuit asks the court to order the "Pace ADA Advisory Committee" and its officers Sharon Lamp, Debbie Pittman and Gloria Nichols to stop using the Pace name. The nonofficial group uses "Pace" as an acronym for Paratransit Advocates Committed to Equality.
The suburban bus company argues that duplicating its name creates confusion, mistakes and deceives the public.
In Cook County court Monday, Judge Rita Novak denied a motion to dismiss from the case the three women, who are listed as individual defendants.
For the defendants, it's a David and Goliath situation.
"I feel I'm being harassed," Des Plaines resident Lamp said. The case, filed in 2009, "is draining our pocketbooks," she added.
Pace spokesman Patrick Wilmot said the lawsuit was the agency's last recourse after the group refused requests to stop using its name. Paratransit riders have told the agency they're unsure who to reach out to with questions, he said.
The lawsuit reflects twists and turns in the relationship between Pace and two of the defendants, who once served on sanctioned advisory boards.
The three women all have disabilities. Both Both Lamp and Pittman previously were members of a Pace paratransit committee that operated with Pace's consent. In 2008, Lamp was chosen by Chairman Richard Kwasneski to participate in a Blue Ribbon Committee put in place to address disabled riders' complaints about service.
The Blue Ribbon Committee recommended the creation of new advisory groups, and Lamp and Pittman were not appointed to the replacement groups.
Both women have been critical of Pace's performance, especially in light of scheduling changes implemented in 2008.
E-mails from Paratransit Advocates Committed to Equality about upcoming meetings refer to Pace as letting paratransit riders down and inflicting unfair treatment on disabled riders.