The Justice Department filed a proposed consent decree with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana to resolve its lawsuit against the town of Clarksville, Indiana, for violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regarding HIV-related discrimination, according to a U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) press release.
The lawsuit alleged that the town’s police department unlawfully revoked a job offer to a qualified police officer because of his HIV diagnosis. The officer had been successfully working for the town’s police department as a volunteer reserve officer for more than a year and was fully qualified to work as a police officer.
Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. Discrimination includes withdrawing a job offer to a qualified individual based on unsupported and stereotypical views of the applicant’s disability.
“Workers living with HIV, including those in law enforcement, deserve to be free from unlawful discrimination,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers of the Southern District of Indiana. “This settlement will ensure that qualified individuals who seek to serve their communities won’t be excluded as a result of unfounded stereotypes and misinformation about HIV. This office will continue to work closely with our partners in the Civil Rights Division to protect the civil rights of employees and continue the fight to uphold the hard-fought protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”