Opinion ID: 156310
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mr. Rascon established a prima facie case of disability discrimination.

Text: 40 In order to establish a prima facie case under the ADA, a plaintiff must prove: (1) that he is a disabled person within the meaning of the ADA; (2) that he is qualified, that is, with or without reasonable accommodation (which he must describe), he is able to perform the essential functions of the job; and (3) that the employer terminated him because of his disability. White v. York Int'l Corp., 45 F.3d 357, 360-61 (10th Cir.1995). 41 U S West argues that even if this court does not adopt judicial estoppel, the court should nonetheless find that Mr. Rascon failed to establish a prima facie case of disability discrimination as a matter of law. U S West contends that Mr. Rascon failed to establish the second element of his prima facie case--that he could perform the essential functions of his job--because his sworn statements in his social security application indicate that he could not work. This argument essentially rehashes U S West's judicial estoppel argument, which we have already rejected. We have considered the statements in Mr. Rascon's social security application which are relevant to his ADA claim, and we have found that they do not bar relief under the ADA. The fact that Mr. Rascon was unable to work and in need of financial assistance while he was receiving long-term care in Menlo Park simply does not preclude a finding that he is a qualified individual with a disability. 42 The district court found that Mr. Rascon was able to perform the essential functions of his job with reasonable accommodation of his need for [posttraumatic stress disorder] counseling and treatment. Aplt's App. vol. I at 35. The question of whether Mr. Rascon was able to perform the essential functions of his job is a mixed question of law and fact involving primarily a factual inquiry. Thus, we review this finding for clear error. There are various pieces of evidence in the record that support such a finding. Dr. Canive, Mr. Rascon's treating psychiatrist, noted that despite the treatment Mr. Rascon received at the Albuquerque VA, Mr. Rascon was still having significant difficulty controlling his symptoms. Nonetheless, Mr. Rascon was able to continue working at U S West. Dr. Canive opined that Mr. Rascon's ability to work in spite of severe posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms was due to his motivation and work ethic. Because of Mr. Rascon's continuing symptoms, Dr. Canive recommended long-term in-patient treatment for Mr. Rascon's condition. Upon completion of the treatment, Mr. Rascon's condition had improved. In Dr. Canive's opinion, Mr. Rascon could have returned to his job at U S West upon release from the Menlo Park program. 43 In addition to Dr. Canive's opinion, Dr. Finley's report indicated that Mr. Rascon's prognosis was good and that he could expect an improvement in his work life once he had completed treatment. While there is evidence in the record that Mr. Rascon was having emotional difficulties at work, U S West has not pointed to any evidence in the record which would tend to prove that Mr. Rascon could not perform the essential functions of a Network Technician. We cannot say that the district court erred in finding that Mr. Rascon was able to perform the essential functions of his job with reasonable accommodation. As to the other elements of a plaintiff's prima facie case, U S West does not raise an argument with respect to the first element, i.e. whether Mr. Rascon has a disability. As to the third element, i.e. whether U S West discriminated against Mr. Rascon on the basis of his disability, we shall discuss that below. 44