Opinion ID: 772051
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: reason for termination

Text: 42 Unlike a simple failure to accommodate claim, an unlawful discharge claim requires a showing that the employer terminated the employee because of his disability. See Cooper v. Neiman Marcus Group, 125 F.3d 786, 790 (1997). Often the two claims, are, from a practical standpoint, the same. For the consequence of the failure to accommodate is, as here, frequently an unlawful termination. In this case, MHA's stated reason for Humphrey's termination was absenteeism and tardiness. For purposes of the ADA, with a few exceptions, 18 conduct resulting from a disability is considered to be part of the disability, rather than a separate basis for termination. See Hartog v. Wasatch Academy, 129 F.3d 1076, 1086 (10th Cir. 1997). The link between the disability and termination is particularly strong where it is the employer's failure to reasonably accommodate a known disability that leads to discharge for performance inadequacies resulting from that disability. See Borkowski v. Valley Central Sch. Dist., 63 F.3d 131, 143 (2d Cir. 1995). In Kimbro, for example, we found that there was a sufficient causal connection between the employee's disability and termination where the employee was discharged for excessive absenteeism caused by migraine-related absences. See Kimbro, 889 F.2d at 875. Similarly, Humphrey has presented sufficient evidence to create a triable issue of fact as to whether her attendance problems were caused by OCD. In sum, a jury could reasonably find the requisite causal link between a disability of OCD and Humphrey's absenteeism and conclude that MHA fired Humphrey because of her disability.