New York Port Authority Safety Officer Cannot Move Forward with Rehabilitation Act Claim after Injury

By: Loyd Willaford and Matt Baker

In Itzhaki v. Port Auth. of N.Y & N.J., a port authority public safety officer claimed that she was discriminated against on the basis of an injury sustained at work. The officer alleged that she would have been promoted to sergeant but for her injury.  The Port Authority moved for summary judgement and argued that her injury precluded her from being on the job and therefore that she couldn’t perform the essential functions of the job. The U.S. Federal Court for the Southern District of New York agreed and granted the Port Authority’s motion.

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Florida Officer Has an Interest in His Reputation, and a Right to Due Process

By: Loyd Willaford and Clive Pontusson

In Hollant v. City of North Miami, a federal court in Florida ruled that an officer who was fired for alleged misconduct may continue with a lawsuit arguing that his termination violated his constitutional rights. Following an officer-involved shooting, Hollant was falsely accused of falsifying records by another Officer, and later by a City Councilman. Despite the fact that Hollant was not the Officer who shot someone, he was then moved into a pre-disciplinary proceeding. He was not allowed to cross-examine witnesses against him, and he alleged he was not given an opportunity to clear his name. The Court determined that Hollant had brought forward enough facts showing that he was denied due process of law, and that therefore he could sue the City and many of his supervisors.  [Read more…]

Federal Court Holds that Indiana State Police Academy Made Reasonable Effort to Accommodate Recruit with Diabetes

By: Cynthia McNabb and Clive Pontusson

In Reeder v. Carter, a recruit with the Indiana State Patrol brought suit in federal district court alleging that he had been discriminated against on account of his disability. Dillon Reeder had begun the ISP Recruit Academy and performed well, but was diagnosed with Diabetes and had to be hospitalized. During his treatment, the State Patrol made efforts to accommodate his condition, including special meals and reduced physical activity. However, the Patrol believed that Reeder could not complete the training program.  Further, Reeder did not complete all of the coursework as part of the training program while he was in the hospital and when he was released from the hospital but not allowed to perform full-duty physical activities. As a result, Reeder was dismissed from the Academy. He was given the option of attending the Academy the following year, and also given the option of accepting a civilian job with the Patrol as a dispatcher. Reeder refused both offers. He filed a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act, claiming that the State Patrol had not done enough to accommodate his condition. The court disagreed, and found that the Patrol had done everything required by the law to attempt to accommodate Reeder’s disability. The court therefore dismissed Reeder’s lawsuit.

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Washington Supreme Court Upholds Fire Department Captain’s right to send religiously-themed emails

By: Loyd Willaford and Matt Baker

In Sprague v. Spokane Valley Fire Dep’t, a fire department captain was fired for sending emails to his coworkers containing Biblical themes and verses from scripture. The civil service commission upheld the firing as permissible. The fire department captain sued the department in court and appealed to the Washington Supreme Court. The court held that the state agency’s decision against the captain did not bar his lawsuit, and that the captain’s emails were protected by the First Amendment. [Read more…]

Oklahoma Officer’s Lawsuit for Gender Discrimination May Continue

By: Loyd Willaford and Clive Pontusson

In Webb v. City of Eufaula, a federal court in Oklahoma ruled that a female employee had offered enough facts and evidence to bring her lawsuit for gender discrimination to trial. Candy Webb was the only woman employed as a Police Officer by the City of Eufaula, and was subjected to different standards of training and fitness than other Officers. She was fired by the Police Department and filed a lawsuit. [Read more…]

Last Chance Agreement Violates Oregon Officer’s Right to Free Speech

By: Loyd Willaford and Clive Pontusson

In Barone v. City of Springfield, a Community Service Officer from Oregon sued her Police Department for violating her free speech rights. Despite the fact that Thelma Barone had been hired to handle complaints of racial profiling by the department, she was fired for speaking out about issues of racial discrimination. The federal Court of Appeals ruled that a last chance agreement offered by her employer was too restrictive, because it did not allow her to share information about the Police Department with the general public.

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Federal Court Rules that City of Chicago did not Fail to Accommodate Psychologically Unfit Paramedic

By: Cynthia McNabb and Clive Pontusson

In a case that was decided on summary judgment, the federal court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled that the City of Chicago did not fail to accommodate or discriminate against Plaintiff, a fire paramedic in violation of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).  Specifically, the Court ruled that the Plaintiff, a fire paramedic with chronic Bell’s palsy employed by the City of Chicago, had failed to show that discrimination was the cause of her being sent to three fit-for-duty evaluations and being placed on involuntary leave.

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Officer’s Use of Medication Does Not Prove He Is Disabled

By: Cynthia McNabb and Clive Pontusson

In Jeannot v. Philadelphia Housing Authority, a federal court in Pennsylvania dismissed the lawsuit of a Police Officer who sued his employer under the Americans with Disabilities Act for retaliating against him because he had a disability. The Court dismissed Jeannot’s lawsuit because he did not prove that he had a disability that would qualify for protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Jeffrey Jeannot had been a Police Officer with the Philadelphia Housing Authority for several years. While on patrol with another Officer, Jeannot stopped into a pharmacy to fill a prescription for Adderall. Jeannot was prescribed Adderall by his doctor “so that he could maintain focus necessary for him to perform his duties as a police officer.” Jeannot had previously informed his supervisor that he took Adderall, however had not articulated to his supervisor that such use was for a specific medical condition.  Jeannot had also not requested any form of accommodation under the ADA Later, Jeannot’s superiors apparently became suspicious, and required him to submit to a drug test. Jeannot was then suspended from his job for drug use. He filed a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act. He argued that his concentration issues were a condition that qualified as a disability, that he was nevertheless qualified to be a police officer, and that his employer suspended him because he was disabled. [Read more…]

Florida Sheriff’s Department May Have Had “Mixed Motive” in Demoting Female Officer

By:  Loyd Willaford and Clive Pontusson

In Montoya v. Morgan, a female employee of a Florida Sheriff’s Department filed a lawsuit for gender discrimination in violation of federal law. Laura Montoya argued that widespread sexism in the Sheriff’s department created a hostile work environment and that she was wrongfully discharged because of gender bias in the Sheriff’s Department. The Court ruled that she had not proven that she suffered from a hostile work environment. However, based on the facts presented, the Court determined that gender discrimination could have been a part of her employer’s decision to fire her. As a result, that component of her lawsuit was allowed to continue.

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U.S. Marshall’s Age Discrimination Claim Dismissed Because He Could Not Prove Employer’s Action was Adverse

By: Loyd Willaford and Matt Baker

In Gloetzner v. Lynch, a U.S. Deputy Marshall brought a suit alleging age discrimination under the ADEA against the U.S. Department of Justice. Marshall brought a number of claims of discriminatory treatment but all but one were all dismissed as having been brought too late. The one claim that the Court did not dismiss as timebarred was Marshall’s claim that he applied to be able to attend a firearms training session but was passed over in favor of a younger colleague.  The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida granted the defendants motion for summary judgement, holding that the Marshall had not stated a meritorious claim on this.

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