Opinion ID: 545510
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Discriminated against solely because of his perceived handicap

Text: 24 A section 504 plaintiff must prove that he was discriminated against solely by reason of his handicap (or perceived handicap). 29 U.S.C. Sec. 794 (emphasis added); see Norcross v. Sneed, 755 F.2d 113, 117 n. 5 (8th Cir.1985) ([I]t is significant that the section 504 plaintiff must show that handicap was the sole reason for the decision, while the Title VII plaintiff pursuing a disparate treatment claim need only show that a protected classification was a factor influencing the decision. (emphasis in original; citations omitted)). The district court concluded that Leckelt was discharged because he had violated the hospital infection control policies on reporting infectious or communicable diseases, and not because he was regarded as being seropositive for HIV. Leckelt, 714 F.Supp. at 1387. 25 In order to protect patients and employees from the spread of communicable diseases, health care facilities, such as TGMC, have promulgated infection control policies based on the guidelines of the CDC and the AHA. As the district court found TGMC did not have a specific written policy concerning HIV infection or AIDS, but had infection control procedures regarding communicable and infectious diseases which would encompass HIV or AIDS. Id. at 1379. TGMC's policies required employees to report any exposure to infectious diseases to the infection control practitioner--Growe--and, where appropriate, to undergo testing and working restrictions for such diseases. For example, an employee exposed to HBV--a blood-borne disease like HIV--was required to undergo testing, and if the test results were positive, to take at least a three-week leave of absence. After receiving medical clearance, such an employee could return to active employment. At trial, Leckelt testified that he understood that TGMC employees were required to report infections to Growe. Leckelt reflected this knowledge by reporting a draining lesion to Growe in April 1986 and, apparently, by reporting to her in December 1984 a rash diagnosed as syphilis. TGMC's employee handbook stated that employees committing serious infractions of TGMC policy, including insubordination, were subject to immediate termination. Leckelt had signed a statement that he had read and understood this handbook. 26 Smith knew that Leckelt had been the roommate for eight years of a TGMC patient--Potter--who died of AIDS-related complications, and that Leckelt was known to be homosexual. 12 It is undisputed, and indeed virtually common knowledge, that homosexuals are a high risk group for contracting HIV and AIDS. Further, Smith discovered that Leckelt was an HBV carrier and had a history of syphilis and lymphadenopathy (a condition that is symptomatic of recent HIV infection), and that Leckelt had failed to report at least some of these matters to Growe. Smith reasonably suspected that Leckelt had been exposed to HIV and, therefore, determined that TGMC needed to know Leckelt's HIV status in order to determine what, if any, precautions were necessary. An April 11, 1986 memorandum by Smith reflects that if Leckelt tested positive for HIV antibodies, he would be placed on leave with pay pending further review; and if he refused to submit his test results, he would be suspended, pending termination review, for insubordination. Although Smith and the TGMC board discussed the possibility of termination, among other alternatives, if Leckelt tested seropositive for HIV antibodies, no decision was ever made as to what measures would be taken in such a case. When it became apparent that Leckelt was not going to submit his test results, he was terminated for failure to comply with hospital policy. Thus, the district court was not clearly erroneous in finding that Leckelt failed to establish that he was discriminated against solely because of a perception that he was infected with HIV. 27 Leckelt contends that the purported reason for his dismissal--failure to comply with hospital policy by not submitting the results of his HIV antibody test--was a pretext for his termination because of the perception that he was infected with HIV. Leckelt points to the disparity in TGMC's treatment of him as opposed to that of a registered nurse (RN) who had been stuck by a needle contaminated with Potter's blood in late March or early April 1986. When Leckelt did not submit the results of his HIV antibody test on April 11, 1986, Smith decided that Leckelt would not be allowed to work until he submitted his test results to Growe. The RN, on the other hand, was allowed to continue working while she awaited the results of her HIV antibody testing. Leckelt emphasizes that an individual who has contracted HIV likely would not have seroconverted until several weeks or months after his initial exposure to HIV. 28 Any disparity in the hospital's treatment of Leckelt and the RN, however, may be explained by the fact that the RN, unlike Leckelt, complied with Growe's request that she undergo HIV antibody testing and submit her results to Growe. Further, Leckelt, unlike the RN, had already, as a result of his own health concerns, taken an HIV antibody test by the time that Growe requested that he submit to such a test. Thus, even though Leckelt was not allowed to work until he submitted his test results, he, unlike the RN, did not have to await these results for any meaningful period of time. Leckelt represented that he could have picked up these results on April 11--the same day on which Smith decided that Leckelt could not work until he submitted his test results to Growe. At that time, Leckelt was on leave from work because of a draining lesion (there was no indication that the RN had any adverse medical condition when the decision concerning her was made). Leckelt did not receive medical clearance with respect to the lesion until April 14, and was not otherwise scheduled to work until April 16. Further, the evidence supports the conclusion that Leckelt, unlike the RN, was known to be a homosexual, a group at high risk for contracting HIV and AIDS. Therefore, there is adequate evidence that TGMC reasonably suspected that Leckelt had been exposed to HIV at some point during his eight-year relationship with Potter, who suffered from (and soon died of) AIDS-related complications. It could reasonably be concluded that, if Leckelt were infected with HIV, there probably was an enhanced likelihood, as compared to the RN when she was tested, that Leckelt would have seroconverted by the time that he voluntarily submitted to HIV antibody testing in New Orleans. We are unable to conclude that the district court was clearly erroneous in finding that Leckelt did not establish pretext. 29