I hope everyone had a good weekend. I just got back from the Federal Bar Association national convention in Kansas City, which was fabulous. I was part of a fantastic panel speaking on policing and persons with disabilities. In particular, we talked about a lot of different things. My part focused on why Graham v.
Title I
Did You Know that Asthma Might Not be a Disability? I Didn’t Either Until Now
Did you know that asthma might not be a disability? How is that even possible? After all, asthma is certainly a physical impairment that limits breathing and the immune system. Even so, the Sixth Circuit in Andrews v. Tri-Star Sports and Entertainment Group, Inc., here, on August 21, 2024, said that a plaintiff’s asthma…
HUD Circular May Well Survive Kisor But What About Loper Bright
Before getting started on the blog entry of the day, I wanted to mention a decision decided by the California Supreme Court on July 29, 2024, here. In that case, Bailey v. San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, the California Supreme Court held that: hostile work environment must be viewed in the totality of circumstances;…
Failure to Accommodate When Doing a Fitness for Duty Exam May Cost You Big Time
I am taking a break from watching the Olympics on Peacock and other channels. Hoping everyone has a good end to the summer. At least in my town, K-12 starts for the kids tomorrow.
Today’s blog entry deals with the question of what happens when you have a fitness for duty exam that doesn’t…
Retaliation, Sovereign Immunity, and Title I
Today’s blog entry is going to be a short one. One of the issues we have discussed quite a bit in a variety of contexts is sovereign immunity. What happens when the claim is retaliation and sovereign immunity is involved? Does sovereign immunity get forcibly waived in that situation? A case answering this question is…
AI (Artificial Intelligence) Provider Can be Held Liable as an Employer Under Antidiscrimination Statutes
The EEOC has been focused on AI discrimination in the workplace for some time. It has been a particular focus, though not exclusively with him, for outgoing EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling, who actually wrote a law review article on the topic (see ¶ 1 of thoughts/takeaways §). During the last academic year, I was part…
Eighth Circuit Breaks New Ground and Other Food for Thought
My thoughts go out to everyone in the Houston area and in Texas dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Beryl.
The blog entry of the day is about a case that came to me from Anne Cullen, a reporter with law 360. She wrote an excellent article on it, here (subscription required). The case…
Does an Employer Have to Allow an Employee’s Service Animal?
I always assumed that a dog satisfying the definitions of a service animal under the DOJ final regulations for title II and title III of the ADA would have to be automatically allowed by an employer where the employee has a service dog satisfying that definition. At least in the Eighth Circuit, that isn’t the…
Important Pointers About Reasonable Accommodations
Today’s blog entry explores an unpublished decision from the Sixth Circuit on April 29, 2024, that discusses some important points regarding reasonable accommodations. The case is Yanick v. The Kroger Company of Michigan, here. As usual, the blog entry is divided into categories, and they are: facts; what is sufficient notice from an employee…
Muldrow Means the End of Requiring an Additional Adverse Action on Top of the Failure to Accommodate
Today’s blog entry talks about a case that is not an ADA case at all. However, I do expect the case to have a huge impact on a particular area of ADA jurisprudence. As we know, such as discussed here, there has been considerable debate in the courts over whether failure to accommodate cases…