Filed Date: July 22, 2015
Closed Date: 2018
Clearinghouse coding complete
On July 22, 2015, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against the University of Michigan. The DOJ brought this suit on behalf of an employee of the University who had filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming that the University had discriminated against her in violation of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying her a reasonable accommodation.
Specifically, the complaint alleged that the University of Michigan did not offer the employee a transfer or reassignment after she suffered a back injury that prevented her from being able to carry out her job. In addition, according to the complaint, the University did not give the employee "priority placement" into a vacant position as outlined in the University's own Standard Practice Guide, even after the employee applied for several jobs at the University. Instead, the University utilized a "best qualified" standard in selecting candidates for a vacant position, even when considering reassignments for reasonable accommodation. The DOJ requested monetary relief on behalf of the employee and injunctive relief to address the University's ADA violations.
The University of Michigan settled with the DOJ in a consent decree filed with the complaint. Without admitting fault, the University agreed to modify its policies, practices, and procedures, including eliminating the application of the "best qualified" standard when considering reassignments as a reasonable accommodation and implementing a policy to reassign employees with disabilities to vacant positions for which they are qualified without competition for the position, when no accommodation is available in the current job. In addition, the University agreed to train its supervisors and human resource staff regarding the requirements of reasonable accommodation under the ADA. Finally, the University agreed to pay $156,674.37 to the employee mentioned in the complaint and an additional $58,445.47 to another affected individual.
The consent decree was signed by District Judge Bernard A. Friedman on August 3, 2015 and scheduled to last 2018. No further docket entries exist, so the case is closed.
Summary Authors
John He (9/28/2015)
Clearinghouse (12/22/2018)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4292746/parties/united-states-v-the-university-of-michigan/
Abernathy, Terri J (Michigan)
Altman, Stephen D (Michigan)
Armijo, Rumaldo R (Michigan)
AUSA, Jesse M (Michigan)
Baka, Gregory (Michigan)
Bond, Rebecca B. (District of Columbia)
Clayton, Lindsay Laurie (Michigan)
Cohen, Richard Edward (Michigan)
Dworkin, Howard Sheldon (Michigan)
Eichenholtz, Seth D. (Michigan)
Foran, Sheila (District of Columbia)
Franze-Nakamura, Francis (Michigan)
Harrington, Quinn Patrick (Michigan)
Hendry, Melanie Dyani (Michigan)
Hill, Eve L. (District of Columbia)
Horwitz, Matthew Joseph (Michigan)
Iannarone, Liberatore Joseph (Michigan)
Johnson, Kristin Berger (Michigan)
Kaminski, Gerald Francis (Michigan)
Lawrence, Kathleen O'Malley (Michigan)
Leiderman, Joel David (Michigan)
Levingston, Luttrell (Michigan)
Maisels, Amanda (District of Columbia)
McEvoy, Lauren Mary (Michigan)
Nathanson, John Alexander (Michigan)
O'Brien, Thomas Peter (Michigan)
Office, United States (Michigan)
Perez, Alfred Juarez (Michigan)
Smith, Rachel M (Pennsylvania)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4292746/united-states-v-the-university-of-michigan/
Last updated Feb. 5, 2025, 9:57 p.m.
State / Territory: Michigan
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 22, 2015
Closing Date: 2018
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
U.S. Department of Justice
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Washtenaw), State
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12111 et seq.
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Content of Injunction:
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Utilize objective hiring/promotion criteria
Follow recruitment, hiring, or promotion protocols
Comply with advertising/recruiting requirements
Other requirements regarding hiring, promotion, retention
Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law
Provide antidiscrimination training
Amount Defendant Pays: 215119.84
Order Duration: 2015 - 2018
Issues
General/Misc.:
Disability and Disability Rights:
Discrimination Area:
Conditions of Employment (including assignment, transfer, hours, working conditions, etc.)
Discharge / Constructive Discharge / Layoff
Discrimination Basis:
Disability (inc. reasonable accommodations)
EEOC-centric: