December 26, 2017 By

Michigan Police Department Declines to Rehire Former Deputy Fired While Negotiating a Return to Work

By: Loyd Willaford and Sarah Burke

In Williams v. Office of Chief Judge of Cook Cnty., a former African American juvenile probation officer in Illinois, sued her department for racial discrimination and workers compensation retaliation after she was terminated while on medical leave. The department argued that the decision was based on its belief that the officer had abandoned her job. The Seventh Circuit upheld the lower court’s decision, and granted the department summary judgment on both claims.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Race Discrimination
October 18, 2017 By

Florida Police Officer Was Not Discriminated Against After Being Fired For Lack of Qualifications

By: Loyd Willaford and Sarah Burke

In Valdes v. City of Doral, a former police officer alleged he had been unlawfully terminated after his job restrictions prohibited him from patrolling the streets. The city argued that it was necessary for an officer to be able to patrol the streets and therefore the officer was no longer qualified for his job. The Eleventh Circuit upheld the lower court’s ruling and dismissed the officer’s claims.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination
October 11, 2017 By

Disabled Deputy Sheriff in Virginia Was Not Discriminated Against By Losing Out on Open Job Position to More Qualified Individual

By: Loyd Willaford and Sarah Burke

In United States v. Woody, a former deputy sheriff was unable to perform her job after being diagnosed with a heart condition and asked for a transfer to a different position. A position opened but the deputy sheriff was not the most qualified applicant and did not receive the job. The deputy sheriff sued and alleged that she had been discriminated against because of her disability. A United States District Court in Virginia disagreed and dismissed the sheriff’s lawsuit.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
October 5, 2017 By

Connecticut Correction Worker Who Suffered From Seizure Disorder Cannot Go Back To Work in Maximum Security Unit

By: Loyd Willaford & Sarah Burke

In Gardner v. Univ. of Conn. Health Ctr., a correctional facility social worker in Connecticut was terminated after she suffered a seizure while on duty and alone with an inmate.  The social worker argued that the termination was discriminatory and that the risk of day time seizures was low with medication. A United States District Court in Connecticut disagreed and held that the potential harm from another seizure was too great and therefore her termination was lawful.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination
September 14, 2017 By

Pennsylvania District Court: 911 Dispatcher Who Suffered From Stress Induced Anxiety Can Pursue ADA Claim Following Termination

By: Loyd Willaford and Sarah Burke

In Wilkie v. Luzerne Cnty., a former Pennsylvania 911 dispatcher was terminated after he failed to follow procedure and a caller died. The dispatcher had suffered from anxiety and alleged he was terminated due to his disability, and not for his failure to follow procedure. A United States District Court in Pennsylvania agreed, and held the dispatcher could pursue his claims against the County.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
September 6, 2017 By

Wisconsin 911 Operator Who Was Terminated After Rotator Cuff Tear Can Pursue Claim Under ADA

By: Loyd Willaford and Sarah Burke

In Watt v. Brown County, a former 911 operator in Wisconsin was terminated following an injury to her rotator cuff. The operator sued, alleging she had been terminated in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The County stated her termination was due to her exhaustion of short term disability and that the operator could no longer perform the essential duties of her job. The district court held that the operator could move forward with her claims against the County.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
August 31, 2017 By

Former Louisiana Deputy’s ADA Claims Dismissed Because He Was Not Present At Work To Determine Whether His Disability Would Be Accommodated

By: Loyd Willaford & Brittany Torrence

In Moore v. Mancuso, the U. S. District Court of Louisiana dismissed a Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO)  deputy’s  claim that the CPSO did not accommodate his disability.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
August 31, 2017 By

District Court Rules that Diabetic Illinois State Trooper No Longer Able to Perform “Essential Functions of the Job”

By: Loyd Willaford and Sarah Burke

In Kirincich v. Ill. State Police, a former Illinois state trooper argued she was wrongfully terminated after she suffered a diabetic episode on duty and crashed her patrol car. A federal district court in Illinois disagreed, finding that the trooper could no longer perform the essential functions of her job and the department had fulfilled its duty to accommodate her disability.

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Filed Under: Age Discrimination, Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
July 5, 2017 By

District Court in Louisiana Finds Police Department Sick Leave Policy Too Broad

By: Loyd Willaford and Sarah Burke

In Taylor v. City of Shreveport, a group of Shreveport, Louisiana police officers sued their Shreveport Police Department (“SPD”) after they were required to submit detailed doctor’s notes after two days of sick leave. The SPD countered that the policy was necessary to determine fitness for duty. The District Court ruled that a jury could find that the policy was overly-broad and the SPD did not have a valid business reason to require it.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
June 30, 2017 By

Court Dismisses Former Georgia Police Officer’s Claims that Department’s Failure to Transfer Him Were Discriminatory

By: Loyd Willaford and Brittany Torrence

In Pasqualetti v. Unified Gov’t of Athens-Clarke County, the U.S. District Court of Georgia dismissed a former police officer’s claims that the Athens-Clarke County Police Department discriminated against him based on its perception that he suffered from a mental disability and that the Department retaliated against him when he filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
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