Bates v. Dura Automotive Systems, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
767 F.3d 566 (2014)
- Written by Kelsey Libby, JD
Facts
Dura Automotive Systems, Inc. (Dura) (defendant) was a manufacturer of glass for vehicle windows. In 2007, after a few workplace mishaps related to drug and alcohol abuse, Dura instituted a new substance-abuse policy that included plant-wide drug testing conducted by a professional third-party company. The policy prohibited the use of alcohol, illegal drugs, and certain prescription drugs that carried machine-operation warnings. Certain employees (the employees) (plaintiffs) tested positive due to substances present in legal prescription medication. The employees were required to submit to medical questioning by the drug-testing company and provide prescription information. Dura ultimately terminated the employees regardless of the explanation for their positive results. The employees sued Dura under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), § 12112(d)(4)(A). At trial, the district court concluded as a matter of law that Dura engaged in unlawful medical examination and disability-related inquiries. The jury then found that doing so was not job related and consistent with business necessity and returned a verdict in favor of the employees.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Cook, J.)
Dissent (Gibbons, J.)
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