Monday, October 9, 2017
The Department of Justice today announced that it reached an agreement with the city of New Albany, Indiana (New Albany) to resolve its lawsuit alleging that the New Albany Police Department and Merit Commission discriminated against an employee on the basis of his disability, in violation of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Justice Department’s complaint alleges that the New Albany Police Department and Merit Commission disclosed to the public and press an employee's confidential medical information, which it had obtained through employment-related medical examinations and inquiries. The complaint further alleges that New Albany provided documents and information detailing the employee’s disability, prescription medications, medical care, and psychological evaluations to the press and that, as result of this unlawful disclosure, local press widely publicized the employee’s medical information.
Under the agreement, New Albany's Police Department and Merit Commission will institute policies to keep confidential its employees’ medical information and procedures to effectively respond to employees’ complaints of unlawful disclosure of medical information. The City of New Albany will also ensure that Police Department and Merit Commission officials, supervisors, and personnel who have access to employees’ confidential medical information are fully trained in those policies. In addition, New Albany will pay $100,000 in compensatory damages to the employee.
To find out more about this complaint, agreement, or the ADA,
call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA information line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Article Credit: U.S. Department of Justice