Opinion ID: 1382539
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Errors in the Majority Opinion

Text: I dissent to parts IV.A and C of the majority opinion. In part IV.A, the majority concludes that the jury  based upon instructions given by the trial court  could have acted under the misapprehension that a mere assignment to light duty proved disability discrimination. However, the record does not contain anything to suggest that this was the case. The entire thrust of the competing arguments of plaintiff's and defendants' counsel was directed at whether or not the defendants acted in good faith and in accord with business necessity. If the plaintiff had at any time contended that a mere transfer to light duty proved disability discrimination, then the defendants' requested instructions might have been necessary. But the circuit court was well within its discretion in refusing to give instructions that were not related to the actual issues being tried to the jury. Put simply, this jury was not misled as to the applicable law. In Part IV.C, the majority opinion concludes that the jury could not find discrimination under the facts of this case  taking all of the evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. This is an improper conclusion. The jury was fully entitled to decide that the Hospital's light duty assignment for Mr. Stone was made in bad faith and without business necessity. The apparently self-serving testimony of Hospital personnel about how they treated Mr. Stone clearly caused the Hospital's case to founder at trial. Mr. Stone lost a substantial amount of money as a result of his involuntary transfer. Based on the slim evidence that the majority concedes existed, the jury was entitled to conclude that Mr. Stone's monetary loss was involuntary. As a result of these flaws, an entirely fair and proper jury verdict for a working person has been overturned by this Court. Accordingly, I dissent to these erroneous portions of the majority opinion.