February 2, 2017 by

Maine Police Chief With Alcoholism Had Valid Claims Of Wrongful Termination under the ADA And Interference With His FMLA Rights

By Reba Weiss and Harrison Owen

In Young v. Town of Bar Harbor, a District Court found that a former police chief was able to bring a claim against the Town of Bar Harbor for violating his claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act and FMLA. In his complaint, the police chief alleged that he had been wrongfully discharged after disclosing his alcoholism, which was perceived as a disability, and that the Town had failed to reasonably accommodate him and violated his FMLA rights. The District Court found that the police chief had a valid claim for wrongful discharge due to a perceived disability and interference with his FMLA rights, but dismissed his other claims.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination
February 2, 2017 by

Nevada County Detention Worker Could Not Sustain ADA Claim Because His Anxiety Prevented Him From Attending to Job Duties

By Reba Weiss and Harrison Owen 

In Lane v. Clark County, a U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed a Nevada District Court’s dismissal of a former juvenile detention center cook’s claim that he had been discriminated against in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In his complaint, the cook claimed that he had been terminated due to his anxiety in violation of the ADA. The district court found that the anxiety prevented him from performing the essential functions of his job, and the Court of Appeals agreed. Therefore, his claim for violation of the ADA was dismissed.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination
February 2, 2017 by

U.S. District Court Hold Pennsylvania Corrections Officer’s with Joint Disease not Entitled to Control Room Position as Accommodation

By Reba Weiss and Brittany Torrence

In Gera v. County of Schuylkill, the U. S. District Court of Pennsylvania rejected a pro se former corrections officer’s ADA disability and retaliation claims, granting summary judgment to Schuylkill County because the officer failed to show that he was a qualified individual within the meaning of the ADA, failed to show retaliation, and his disability benefits claim precluded his ADA claim.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination
December 28, 2016 by

Seventh Circuit Finds that Juvenile Detention Employee Could Not Bring Race Discrimination Claim After Supervisor Threatens He Would “Take Them To The Woodshed”

By Erica Shelley Nelson and Sarah Burke

In Carothers v. County of Cook, the Seventh Circuit found that a black employee at a juvenile detention center could not move forward with her Title VII race discrimination claim, despite evidence that her supervisor had told a group of employees he would “take them to the woodshed” and made a problematic comment about Malcom X. In her complaint, the employee alleged not only race discrimination, but also disability discrimination, gender discrimination, and retaliation. The Court found that because the statements were not made by the ultimate decision maker, the woodshed statement did not hold racial connotations, and the Malcom X comment was made three years prior, the County’s motion for summary judgment was appropriate.

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Filed Under: Gender/Pregnancy Discrimination, Race Discrimination
December 27, 2016 by

Eighth Circuit Finds St. Louis Police Officer Suffered Adverse Employment Action Despite Having No Change in Pay, Benefits, or Rank

By Erica Shelley Nelson and Sarah Burke

In Bonenberger v. St. Louis Metro. Police Dept., a white police officer applied for and was denied the position of Assistant Academy Director of the St. Louis, Missouri Police Academy, an African American woman was chosen instead. The police officer sued department officials alleging race discrimination and conspiracy to discriminate. A jury found in the officer’s favor on claims against three of his superiors regarding both claims. The department appealed the district court’s denial of their motion for a judgment as a matter of law.

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Filed Under: Race Discrimination
December 21, 2016 by

Michigan District Court Finds Police Officer Could Claim Retaliation and First Amendment Violations After Reporting Sexual Harassment

By Erica Shelley Nelson and Sarah Burke

In Jennings v. Wayne County, a Michigan police officer was able to establish a claim for retaliation after she complained about sexual harassment. The district court found that being frozen out of meetings, not receiving backup, and being stripped of her Blackberry could constitute an adverse action. The district court also found the officer had established a First Amendment claim because her complaints about the harassment involved a matter of public concern.

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Filed Under: Free Speech Rights, Gender/Pregnancy Discrimination
November 9, 2016 by

Mandatory Overtime May Not be Essential Function of Michigan Police Officer’s Job, Might Be Open to Reasonable Accommodation

disabilityBy 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.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
November 9, 2016 by

Unqualified Virginia Firefighter Cannot Sue for Reasonable Accommodation or Wrongful Termination Under ADA

firefighterBy 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.

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Filed Under: Disability Discrimination, Discrimination
November 7, 2016 by

Pennsylvania District Court Finds Correctional Officer Who Violated Legitimate Rule Can Move Forward With Claim of Race Discrimination

credit-cardBy 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.

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Filed Under: Discrimination, Race Discrimination
September 15, 2016 by

Indiana District Court Finds Jailer Was Not Retaliated Against For Taking FMLA Leave Because She Never Returned To Work


cultureBy: Mitchell Riese and Sarah Burke

In McMillion v. Mollenhauer, a former jailer brought a claim against an Indiana Sheriff’s Office alleging race discrimination because she was demoted from corporal, was not paid for her FMLA leave and was wrongfully terminated. The district court granted the Sheriff’s Office summary judgment because the jailer never returned to work after her FMLA leave expiredThe court also rejected the demotion claim because no pay was attached to that position and all other officers had had the title of corporal removed.

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Filed Under: Discrimination, Race Discrimination
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