I’m sure some of you think that I’m totally off base on this “right to sue your employer” issue. You think this Patient’s Bill of Rights legislation could never lead to the type of abuses I’m proposing.
Remember the American’s With Disabilities Act? Many of us made the same warnings when this legislation was first proposed a decade or so ago. “Idiotic and absurd costly lawsuits!” we said. “No way” responded the proponents.
Well --- try this one on. Cleveland Merritt worked for Palm Beach County in Florida. Merritt is colorblind. He can’t tell the difference between red and green.
So, what was Merritt’s job with Palm Beach County? He serviced traffic lights. Red and green traffic lights. When his employer discovered he couldn’t tell the difference between the red and the green lights he was let go.
Discrimination!
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has found that the county violated the Americans With Disabilities Act when they fired Merritt. He is now suing. Trial is scheduled for October.
Now --- when the ADA was being debated in congress, if I had gone on the air and told you that an employee’s job required him to discern the difference between a red light and a green light, and if that employee was fired because he couldn’t tell the difference because of colorblindness and he would then be able to sue under the ADA --- you would tell me that I’m nuts.
Go ahead --- just keep your heads in the sand. It’s so safe there.
Remember the American’s With Disabilities Act? Many of us made the same warnings when this legislation was first proposed a decade or so ago. “Idiotic and absurd costly lawsuits!” we said. “No way” responded the proponents.
Well --- try this one on. Cleveland Merritt worked for Palm Beach County in Florida. Merritt is colorblind. He can’t tell the difference between red and green.
So, what was Merritt’s job with Palm Beach County? He serviced traffic lights. Red and green traffic lights. When his employer discovered he couldn’t tell the difference between the red and the green lights he was let go.
Discrimination!
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has found that the county violated the Americans With Disabilities Act when they fired Merritt. He is now suing. Trial is scheduled for October.
Now --- when the ADA was being debated in congress, if I had gone on the air and told you that an employee’s job required him to discern the difference between a red light and a green light, and if that employee was fired because he couldn’t tell the difference because of colorblindness and he would then be able to sue under the ADA --- you would tell me that I’m nuts.
Go ahead --- just keep your heads in the sand. It’s so safe there.
