The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued a Raleigh insurance firm for refusing to hire an addict that had methadone in his system:
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission today sued a Raleigh insurance office for not hiring a recovering drug addict who tested positive for methadone in his system.
The federal anti-discrimination agency’s Charlotte office, which filed the case, said that United Insurance Company of American violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by rescinding a job offer to Craig Burns, a Raleigh resident, after he failed his drug test.
The EEOC blames the Americans With Disabilities Act, which categorizes addictions as disabilities:
“We have to set aside our personal feelings and do what the law dictates,” said Lynette Barnes, the EEOC’s regional attorney in Charlotte. “That’s why he’s covered by the ADA. He has this impairment that requires him to take the methadone.”
Barnes said that “recovering addictions” are protected by the ADA as disabilities. The suit seeks back pay and lost income, as well as damages.
The ADA, the worst piece of legislation President George H.W. Bush signed during his term, was sold as a way to prevent people with real disabilities from being discriminated against. It has morphed into a monster that costs billions in productivity, needless regulation, and outrageous decisions like this one.
