By Kristina M. Launey and Minh N. Vu
Seyfarth Synopsis: Four years and two motions to dismiss based on the pleadings later, the National Association of the Deaf’s (NAD) online video captioning lawsuit against Harvard University is moving forward to fact discovery. On March 28, Federal Magistrate Judge Robertson in the District of Massachusetts denied
By Minh N. Vu
Seyfarth Synopsis: Domino’s Likely to File Petition for Certiorari from Ninth Circuit’s Ruling in Robles v. Domino’s.
As we reported, the Ninth Circuit held in January that a blind plaintiff could move forward with his ADA Title III lawsuit against Domino’s Pizza for having an allegedly inaccessible website and mobile
By Sara Eber Fowler, Rhandi Childress Anderson, and Erin Dougherty Foley
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Department of Labor issues an opinion letter clarifying that employers must promptly designate FMLA leave, regardless of the availability of paid leave.
What if an employee wanted to say “no thank you” to their FMLA rights, use their
By Kristina M. Launey & Minh N. Vu
Seyfarth Synopsis: Ninth Circuit overturns district court’s dismissal of website accessibility lawsuit on due process and primary jurisdiction grounds, remands case to proceed with discovery.
On January 15, 2019, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued the fifth federal appeals court ruling on the issue of website
By Rhandi Childress Anderson and Erin Dougherty Foley
Seyfarth Synopsis: Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals clarifies that employers have discretion to provide a reasonable accommodation as identified through the interactive process. Once an employee abandons the interactive process, the employer has no duty to accommodate.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the purpose
By Danielle M. Kays and Erin Dougherty Foley
Seyfarth Synopsis: For the first time since the enactment in 2008 of the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), which broadened the definition of a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Ninth Circuit addressed, and expanded, the definition of an individual who is “regarded-as” disabled under
By Paul Galligan and Tara Ellis
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers Continue to Labor over Pregnancy Accommodations.
Earlier this month, Plaintiff Caroline Ruiz filed suit in the Southern District of New York against her former employer New Avon LLC, contending that Avon failed to accommodate her high risk pregnancy, and instead hastily terminated her employment upon
By Honore Hishamunda and Alex S. Drummond
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers face a tough challenge in trying to balance their obligations under the ADA with efforts to enforce workplace rules. A recent decision out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, however, highlighted how employers can get that balance right.
The Americans
By James L. Curtis, Erin Dougherty Foley, Adam R. Young, Megan P. Toth, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: Employers must evaluate their safety protections for pregnant women and engage in the interactive process with employees to find reasonable accommodations.
Reproductive Health Hazards in the Workplace
Pregnant women work in
By Jade M. Gilstrap and Alex S. Drummond
Seyfarth Synopsis: The D.C. Circuit recently revived a single-leg amputee’s claim that his former employer failed to accommodate his disability by refusing his request for a classroom aide. In reversing the lower court’s decision in part, the two-member panel found triable issues of fact existed regarding