Capitol Beat (April 2001)
Tuesday, May 29th, 2001 Auto Liability LitigationThe Supreme Court justices have granted states immunity from suits by disabled workers, ruling that a state employee cannot sue for damages for violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The court found that, in enacting the ADA, Congress had exceeded its powers under the Fourteenth Amendment. Originally, the case, Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama et al. v. Garrett et al., involved two separate lawsuits filed by employees against units of the Alabama state government. Patricia Garrett, a registered nurse, sued the University of Alabama Hospital for demoting her when she returned to work after treatment for breast cancer, while Milton Ash, a security officer, sued the state’s Department of Youth Services for failing to arrange his work conditions to accommodate his chronic asthma and other medical problems.
