Home > Research Legal Advice > Discrimination > Can I sue my employer for discrimination based on disability?
Asked over 1 year ago - Atlanta, GA
FlagI am an adult living with ADHD/Depression, though it does not hinder my work performance, it at time affects the way I react in certain situations. I have explained to my store manager this on several different occasions. I normally don't have problems with people, I am generally easy going, despite my disability. But when constantly provoked to no end it becomes hard to contain myself. I recently grew ill, and I let my direct supervisor know this. Yet he kept hassling about getting things done without giving me the chance too. I let upper management know, and nothing was done. It got to the point where all I could do was snap back, I got written up and was threatened with termination. 3 weeks later I was hospitalized , after returning to work I was still being hassled and then was fired.
You may have a Workers' Compensation claim in GA, if your employment aggravated your condition and caused the hospitalization. A Georgia WC attorney can more effectively advise you of any rights that you may have there. Your employer has an absolute right to maintain a safe work environment. If your condition caused, permittted or failed to prevent your blow-up, I do not believe your Employer has to accommodate dangerous behavior. Your rights end where the other person's safety begins, regardless of the reason. I do not know what "snap-back" actually entailed, but it could have made the other person fearful for safety. Or maybe not. An Attorney can help you sort out the nuances, but probably not here.
I am a California attorney and not eligible to give legal advice in your state. The following is information only, based on federal law and general legal principles. YOUR STATE MAY HAVE ITS OWN LAWS THAT PROVIDE SIMILAR OR GREATER PROTECTION. If I refer to your state's laws, that only means I did a quick Internet search and found something that appeared relevant. However, you should not rely on any comment I make regarding your state's law. You MUST check with an attorney licensed in your state.
The Avvo board is not really set up to handle the kind of detailed analysis necessary in your situation. It works best for short, general questions with short, general answers. More importantly, it is not confidential and your employer could be reading every word here.
However, from your post, it looks like you may have claims for disability discrimination, failure to provide reasonable accommodation, and retaliation. Please look at my Avvo guide on the ADA: http://www.avvo.com/pages/show?category_id=6&pe....
Employment law is complicated and fact specific. You may wish to consult with an experienced plaintiffs employment attorney in your state. To find a plaintiffs employment attorney in your area, please go to the web site of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). NELA is the largest and most influential bar association in the country for attorneys who represent working people. The web site is www.nela.org, and you can search for attorneys by location and practice area.
Also, NELA has affiliates in every state and in many cities. On the NELA web site, you can look at the list of affiliates. Some attorneys will be listed in the affiliate membership list, some in the national organization membership list, and some in both. Being listed in one or both lists should not influence your selection because attorneys can choose whether or not to purchase the listing in the national directory. Each local affiliate has its own rules for listing.
I hope you can resolve your situation and wish you the best.
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