| Justices Limit Scope of Disabilities Act | |
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Dateline: 02/21/01
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision issued today, limited the reach of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) by ruling that employees of state governments cannot bring employment-related discrimination suits against their employers under the ADA.
The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable workplace accommodations for disabled persons otherwise qualified for a job.
Former President Bush, who signed the ADA in 1990, filed a court brief in support of the two State of Alabama employees who filed the original suite.
The case decided today by
the Supreme Court was University of Alabama v.
Garrett, in which the
State of Alabama argued that parts of Titles I and II of the ADA violate the
rights of the states under the Eleventh Amendment.
Basics of the Garrett Case Garrett sued the Board of Trustees at the University of Alabama, claiming damages
for discrimination under the (ADA). Her
attorney's argued that the university violated Garrett's rights by demoting her
after taking approved sick leave. Attorneys for Alabama argued that the US Congress lacked the constitutional
power to enact the ADA, thereby forcing states to pay damages for injuries
caused by the state's violation of the Act.
A district court judge agreed with Alabama and threw out the suites of both
Garrett and another state employee on grounds that the Eleventh Amendment
precludes individuals from suing the government without its approval. But, in a 2-1 opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Eleventh Circuit reversed the district court, finding that the Fourteenth
Amendment gives Congress the power to require states to pay damages for
violations of federal statutes, like the ADA. (Text
of Appeals Court Decision.) By its ruling today, the Supreme Court reverses the decision of the Eleventh
Circuit Court, finding that such suits are barred by the 11th
Amendment which, the justices said grants states immunity against being
sued in federal courts. According to the court, Congress had exceeded its authority in allowing state
workers file claims under the ADA. Next page > More
on Today's Decision > Page 1, 2
Patricia Garrett had been an Alabama state employee working as a supervising
nurse at the University of Alabama's medical center in
Birmingham since 1977. In 1994, Garrett was diagnosed with breast cancer. She
had surgery to remove her lymph nodes and underwent extensive radiation and
chemotherapy treatments for the next year. When she attempted to return to work
in1995, Garrett was demoted and given significantly lower pay.
