By Mitchell Riese and Mathias Deeg
In Reeder v. County of Wayne, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan held that a Wayne County police officer diagnosed with depression and anxiety could proceed with a claim against the county alleging that it wrongfully discharged him—in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act—for refusing to work mandatory overtime.
By Mitchell Riese and Mathias Deeg
In Craft v. Fairfax County Government, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia held that a Fairfax County firefighter could not bring a disability discrimination claim of either wrongful termination or failure to accommodate because he was unable to show he was a “qualified individual” under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
By Erica Shelley Nelson and Sarah Burke
In Yahnke v. Kane County, an Illinois deputy sheriff was terminated after he continued to hold a second job despite being asked to discontinue the work. The deputy sheriff believed the termination was due to his potential run for Sheriff and his political affiliation. The Seventh Circuit agreed, finding the deputy sheriff was entitled to a trial.
By Erica Shelley Nelson and Sarah Burke
In McWilliams v. Cmty. Educ. Ctrs., Inc., an African American correctional officer was terminated for violating a fraternization policy after he helped an inmate deposit money into his prison account. The officer alleged the termination was racially discriminatory and that the prison had allowed a hostile work environment. The U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania found that the officer had established a disparate treatment claim by alleging his punishment was not comparable to white officers who had broken the same rule and the office had established a hostile work environment claim by alleging black officers were subjected to pictures of nooses.
