Opinion ID: 768355
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Perception of Disability

Text: 29 Sinkler also argues both that her record of impairment led to her discharge, under sec. 12102(2)(B), and that Midwest discharged her because it perceived that she was disabled within the meaning of the ADA, under sec. 12102 (2)(C). Sinkler provides no evidence that the record of her impairment had any effect on her discharge, so we find no error in the district court's grant of summary judgment as to the sec. 12102(2)(B) claim. However, Sinkler claims that Drew Lombardo, the CEO of Midwest, told her that she was being fired because she had lied by not informing him that she was handicapped. Lombardo apparently felt that Sinkler's impairment constituted a handicap to her ability to perform the tasks required as regional sales manager, one of which appears to be frequent travel to unfamiliar areas. 30 To prevail on the sec. 12102(2)(C) claim that she was discriminated against by Midwest because it believed she was disabled, Sinkler must show that Midwest believed that she was unable to work in a particular class or broad range of jobs as required in the definition of disability under sec. 12102(2)(A). See Skorup, 153 F.3d at 515. Because we have found that Sinkler's specific phobia is not an impairment that substantially limits her ability to work, to defeat Midwest's motion for summary judgment Sinkler must show that Midwest believed her phobia limited the class of jobs that Sinkler could perform more broadly than her phobia actually limited her. Sinkler provides no evidence to demonstrate that Midwest believed that she was disabled within the definition of the ADA or that it believed her impairment would limit her ability to work at a broad range of jobs. 31 Sinkler claims that the evidence suggests that Midwest believed her unable to drive to and from work at all. Her testimony about Lombardo's statements does show, when viewed most favorably for the plaintiff, that Midwest fired her because of her impairment, that is her fear of driving to unfamiliar places. However, the evidence that she provides does not support the inference that Midwest believed her unable to commute to work generally. The hotel was located in Zion, Illinois, which is some eight miles from Kenosha, Wisconsin, but Midwest required Sinkler to drive from Kenosha to Zion to go to work. From these facts, we infer that Midwest knew that Sinkler drove every day to work. Because Midwest did not indicate that a history of tardiness or absenteeism was a basis for Sinkler's termination, we infer that Midwest found no problems with Sinkler's regular commute, only with her ability to drive to unfamiliar areas. Sinkler has presented no other evidence from which we reasonably may infer that Midwest believed Sinkler was incapable of driving at all. Her evidence only demonstrates that Midwest felt that she was incapable of performing the driving to unfamiliar areas which was required of a regional sales manager. We find that Midwest did not perceive Sinkler as having an impairment which would substantially limit her ability to perform any broad range of jobs.