Southeast ADA Center
2023
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Mia Bennett is a student nurse at Hurley Medical Center, University of Michigan-Flint. Bennett was no longer permitted to have her service dog, Pistol, join her while working due to the dog causing allergic reactions in a patient and co-worker. Pistol was trained to assist Bennett with a panic disorder.
The district court ruled in favor of Hurley Medical Center.
Bennett appealed the district court decision to the Sixth Circuit United States Court of Appeals. On appeal, the court found that although the district court was wrong in ruling that Bennett abandoned her claim of intentional discrimination, they were not wrong in granting summary judgment to Hurley Medical Center because Bennett did not show evidence that she was discriminated against because of her disability or that Hurley failed to provide reasonable accommodations. The circuit court upheld the district court ruling.
https://adasoutheast.org/court/bennett-v-hurley-med-ctr/
Keywords: Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, accommodations, allergic reaction, direct threat, hospital, intentional discrimination, interactive process, public entity, reasonable modification, service animal, service dog, staff member