Terrified Teacher

Maria Waltherr-Willard taught high school French and Spanish in a Cincinnati school district for more than 35 years, until the high school eliminated its French program in 2009. At that time, Waltherr-Willard says, the school district transferred her to its junior high school, even though it had previously promised her that it would not do so, in consideration of her pedophobia, which causes her severe anxiety when she is around young children.

The stress of working with younger pupils sent the teacher's blood pressure skyrocketing, according to Waltherr-Willard's lawsuit, and, after the district refused her request to return to the high school, she retired early. She is now suing the school district for discrimination, seeking past and future pay, compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys' fees.

Benched Basketballers

By many standards, the Nov. 29 San Antonio Spurs-Miami Heat game was a thrilling basketball game, in which the Heat edged out their opponents for a 105-100 victory, despite the absence of four of the Spurs' five starters. But one fan was so disappointed by the game that he's suing the Spurs, arguing that head coach Gregg Popovich cheated fans by resting the star players simultaneously.

Popovich says he made the decision because the team had played four games in five days, but the fan in question, Larry McGuinness, says that he suffered “economic damages” when he paid a premium for tickets, only to see bench players instead of starters. Shortly after the game in question, the league fined the team $250,000 over the controversy.

Flying Frank

Few things in life are better than eating a hot dog at a baseball game. Few things are worse than being hit in the eye with a flying hot dog. The latter allegedly befell unfortunate Kansas City Royals fan John Coomer in 2009, when an errant throw by team mascot Sluggerrr sent a hot dog straight into the fan's eye.

Coomer claimed that the flying frank caused several serious injuries, including a detached retina, and sued the team. A jury ruled against Coomer in March 2011 on the basis that the airborne hot dogs, which Sluggerrr throws to fans between innings, are an inherent risk that Coomer accepted by attending the game. But a state appeals court resurrected the lawsuit last week, ruling that “the risk of being hit in the face by a hot dog is not a well-known incidental risk of attending a baseball game.”