Thompson v. North American Stainless

In a decision issued in July, the Sixth Circuit addressed the standard for a claim under the "associational" provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and affirmed summary judgment on plaintiff’s claim that his employment was terminated due to his wife’s disability.

The plaintiff was the highest ranking manager for Air Wisconsin at the Kalamazoo Airport. His wife suffered from various conditions, including a rare and debilitating auto immune disorder that required expensive treatment.

Plaintiff was terminated for poor performance based on failure to report security violations, supervise employees properly and stay within budget. In filing suit, he claimed that the termination was due to consideration of his wife’s disability, which he alleged impacted his work performance and caused him to be inattentive at work.Continue Reading Sixth Circuit Rules for Employer in First Published Decision on “Associational” Disability Discrimination Claim

Updating our previous posts on Thompson v. North American Stainless, the Supreme Court yesterday reversed the Sixth Circuit’s en banc decision holding that an employee who claims he was fired in retaliation for his fiancé’s complaint of sex harassment had an actionable retaliation claim under Title VII. The Supreme Court reversed the Sixth Circuit’s

In Thompson v. North American Stainless LP, in a rehearing by the Sixth Circuit en banc, the full Sixth Circuit held that, in order for a third-party to claim retaliation based on the protected activity of another, the third party must have actually engaged in protected activity of his own. In doing so, the Sixth Circuit joined the Third, Fifth, and Eighth Circuits in so ruling.
Continue Reading Sixth Circuit Reverses Third Party Retaliation Decision