Hoback v. Chattanooga

2012 WL 3834828 (2012)

From our private database of 46,300+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

Hoback v. Chattanooga

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
2012 WL 3834828 (2012)

  • Written by Nicole Gray , JD

Facts

Hoback (plaintiff) became a Chattanooga police officer in July 2000. Hoback was also an army veteran and served a tour in Iraq before being honorably discharged and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 2006, Hoback returned to the police department after his discharge. However, Hoback was fired following a series of events, which began in April 2009 when Hoback visited a Veterans Administration (VA) doctor. The doctor wanted to involuntarily commit Hoback because she believed that Hoback was suicidal. Hoback avoided the involuntary commitment and voluntarily committed himself the same day, and he was observed and released the next day. By that time, the police chief had learned of the involuntary-commitment attempt and placed Hoback on administrative leave. Hoback was not allowed to return to the department until he had been psychologically examined and found fit to return. In April and May, Hoback was examined by a first psychologist, who reported that Hoback still required intensive therapy and was unfit for return. That psychologist’s report was based, in part, on violent disclosures Hoback made during treatment at the VA. In June and July, Hoback was examined by a second psychologist, who reported that Hoback was fit to return, albeit needing gradually lessened supervision to reacclimate. The chief decided to fire Hoback based on the first psychologist’s report. The chief did not consider the second report because he believed that Hoback posed a direct threat to others due to the essential functions of his job. Hoback sued the city (defendant) claiming that his firing violated the Americans with Disabilities Act because he was “regarded as” disabled due to his PTSD.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Collier, C.J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 814,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 814,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 814,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,300 briefs - keyed to 988 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership