Kauffman v. GMAC Mortgage Corp. - ED Pa. - May 17, 2006
http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/06D0610P.pdf
Plaintiff's ADA claims against her employer dimissed on summary judgment motion.
Plaintiff had a severe allergy to perfumes -- a "disability" under the ADA, 42 USC 12101 et seq. The court held that plaintiff was not a "qualified individual" because she failed to sustain her burden of showing that a "reasonable accommodation, allowing her to perform the essential functions of her job, is possible." The evidence showed "many attempts" by the employer to alleviate plaintiff's problem. A completely scent-free environment was held to be "impractical....virtually impossible....unreasonable."
Plaintiff's retaliation claim was also rejected, because she did not meet the "burden of establishing a causal conection between her protected activity [an email to her employer complainting of harassment and unequal treatment] and her termination."
