Nathanson v. Medical College of Pennsylvania

Jayne Nathanson (plaintiff) suffered back and neck injuries in a car accident, and some pain continued after completion of physical therapy. After the accident, Nathanson decided to attend medical school. Nathanson took prerequisite courses at two different universities and eventually applied for admission at the Medical College of Pennsylvania (college) (defendant). During her admissions interviews, Nathanson informed the college interviewers about her accident and injuries but stated that she believed she would not need special accommodations in the program because she had not experienced problems during her prior coursework. Nathanson was admitted to the program and almost immediately ran into physical difficulties due to parking and seating arrangements that triggered her injuries. Nathanson communicated with several faculty members and administrators during her first year, but the parties disputed the content and timeline of those communications. Nathanson alleged that she disclosed that she was experiencing physical pain, asked for generalized assistance including better seating and closer parking, and eventually requested to defer classes for a year. Due to a lack of response from the college and continued difficulties with parking and seating, Nathanson withdrew from the program and filed suit against the college in federal district court. The district court granted summary judgment for the college, and Nathanson appealed to the Third Circuit.