A jury has returned a verdict for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of a former employee fired by West Meade Place, a privately owned Nashville rehabilitation and healthcare facility, the federal agency announced. The former employee was awarded $6,000 in compensatory damages, and the court will award back pay of $6,146.72, the amount stipulated by the parties. At the trial, the EEOC claimed West Meade discriminated against the former employee in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it fired her from a laundry technician position, despite her ability to do the job, because West Meade regarded her as having a physical or mental impairment. The former employee suffered from anxiety throughout her adult life. Before she worked at West Meade, for years, the employee saw a doctor regularly and took medication for her anxiety. She began employment with West Meade in February 2015 and worked there until November 2015. She successfully performed her job and West Meade never disciplined her. When she requested intermittent leave to address her anxiety, West Meade discharged her after concluding she did not qualify for Family Medical Leave, claiming she was unable to perform her job duties. Later, West Meade offered another reason, alleging she had submitted a fake doctor’s note. West Meade, however, never produced the note.
