The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., part of the Clearwater, Fla.-based BayCare Health System, accusing the hospital of violating anti-discrimination laws.
According to the suit, a nurse who had worked in the hospital's psychiatric department for 21 years was told by hospital officials the walking cane she had been using without incident for two years was unsafe, as it could be used as a weapon. The nurse was then allegedly told if she wanted to continue working for the hospital, she would have to compete with the general applicant pool for other open positions.
The suit asserts the hospital violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing reasonable accommodations to allow the nurse to continue working in her current department, by not reassigning her to a vacant position outside the department and by terminating her within 30 days of revoking her use of the cane.
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