A Tennessee nursing facility will not have to face claims that it fired a laundry technician because of an anxiety disorder, after federal officials failed to prove the condition was covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee handed down the ruling Tuesday in favor of the HealthCare Center at West Meade Place, in Nashville, TN, according to published reports.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission brought the lawsuit against the nursing home. Federal officials alleged the center violated the ADA by failing to accommodate the employee’s anxiety and by later firing her.
The nursing facility countered that the worker’s anxiety was not a disability and pushed to have the lawsuit dismissed. The court agreed.
The EEOC was seeking an injunction to keep West Meade from discriminating against employees based on their disabilities in the future, as well as back pay and compensatory and punitive damages for the victim.
