San Francisco Standard, San Francisco Man Sues City After Dog Denied Entry Into Library:

A San Francisco law professor said his service dog was denied entry to a city library, putting him at risk of injury due to his unique medical condition, a lawsuit alleges.

The complaint, which was filed in federal court against the city Monday, alleges violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act and California Disabled Persons Act and is seeking damages for emotional distress and payment of attorney fees.

Clark Freshman, who filed the lawsuit, said he has a heart condition called an aortic aneurysm, which can cause his aorta to rupture if his blood pressure gets too high. Freshman says his service dog can detect if his blood pressure gets too high so he can take medication to lower his blood pressure quickly.

The lawsuit claims that when he was denied entry, he was also threatened by the security guard outside, who said he would cite the professor for loitering if he didn't leave the area. The alleged threats raised his heart rate and increased his blood pressure, Freshman said.

"It was pretty upsetting, pretty scary," Freshman said. "I felt my pulse and it was pretty high. I had to do some breathing exercises to calm down."

(Hat Tip: Diane J. Kemker)