Opinion ID: 788414
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pardi's Employment and Termination

Text: 7 Stephan Pardi, a licensed respiratory care practitioner, began working at Kaiser Medical Center in Oakland, California, on April 27, 1997. Pardi informed his employer that he suffers from depression, a disability under the ADA. 8 Between 1997 and 1999, Pardi initiated a number of grievances through his union, Service Employees International Union Local 250 (the union), and filed charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), alleging, among other things, that the head of the respiratory care department at Kaiser refused to comply with the agreed upon accommodations for his disability. In August 1998, Pardi requested a transfer to another facility as an accommodation for his disability under the ADA. In response, Kaiser demanded that Pardi undergo a full psychiatric evaluation, a condition that Kaiser had never imposed on any other respiratory care practitioner requesting a routine transfer. Pardi was never transferred. 9 During the same 1997 to 1999 time period, physicians and patients made various complaints against Pardi alleging unprofessional conduct and inappropriate comments. 10 Pardi was placed on paid administrative leave of absence on April 12, 1999, and on unpaid investigatory suspension on June 17, 1999, while Kaiser conducted an internal investigation into allegations of improper patient care by Pardi. 11 On July 12, 1999, Kaiser terminated Pardi's employment. Janet Schade, Kaiser's Director of Nursing Operations, made the decision to terminate Pardi. She notified him by letter, setting forth six charges of misconduct as grounds for his termination. Two of the charges involved time discrepancies entered on patients' charts. The other four described complaints from physicians and patients. 1 12 Also in July 1999, a union arbitration panel heard multiple grievances brought by Pardi relating to discrimination and harassment. The arbitration concluded in Pardi's favor, resulting in a five-figure settlement from Kaiser. The record does not indicate exactly when in July the arbitration occurred or the panel rendered its decision. 13 After his termination, Pardi initiated an additional grievance proceeding against Kaiser through his union challenging his termination. 14