Opinion ID: 161081
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Claim for Failure to Reasonably Accomodate

Text: 50 Under the ADA, discrimination is defined to include not making reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, unless such covered entity can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the business of such covered entity. 42 U.S.C. 12112(b)(5)(A). The statute thus establishes a cause of action for disabled employees whose employers fail to reasonably accommodate them. See, e.g., Templeton v. Neodata Servs., Inc, 162 F.3d 617 (10th Cir. 1998) (assessing employee's claim that employer failed to reasonably accommodate her). However, an employer is not required to always provide the employee with the best possible accommodations or in the specific manner the employee requested. See 29 C.F.R. 1630.2(p)(1). It has broad discretion in determining which alternative accommodation should be provided. See 29 C.F.R. 1630.9. 51 Here, Ms. Selenke asserted that MIC failed to reasonably accommodate her sinus disorder by failing to make timely modifications in her work environment. In its motion for summary judgment, MIC argued that, assuming that Ms. Selenke suffered from a disability protected by the ADA, it complied with the statute by improving ventillation in the darkrooms, providing her with a mask, granting her requests for leaves of absence, and offering her a position in the mobile unit. MIC argues on appeal that the district court's grant of summary judgment may be affirmed on this alternative ground (i.e., that it reasonably accommodated Ms. Selenke's disability). 52 Under the ADA, reasonable accommodations may include:  making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities; and . . . job restructuring, part-time or modified work schedules, reassignment to a vacant position, acquisition or modification of equipment or devices, . . . and other similar accommodations for individuals with disabilities. 42 U.S.C. 12111(9). In this case, the parties agree that MIC did modify Ms. Selenke's work environment: it hired an industrial hygienist who evaluated the darkroom at the 19th Street office; it followed his recommendation to install a vent; at the Jackson Street office, it hired a consulting firm and followed its recommendations to install vents and a more powerful motor to remove the fumes. 53 Nevertheless, Ms. Selenke argues that MIC violated the ADA because it delayed making these changes. In particular she notes that, even though she complained about a lack of ventilation in the 19th Street darkroom in the fall of 1995, MIC did not insert a vent until February 1996. She also cites delays in making improvements at the Jackson Street office, observing that even though MIC moved to that office in September 1996, it was not until late November of that year that MIC completed the repairs to provide adequate ventilation. Ms. Selenke also notes that, at the Jackson Street facility, MIC declined to make certain improvements recommended by a consultant in April 1996. 54 Although our circuit has not yet addressed the question in analogous circumstances, a few courts have concluded that an employer's delay in providing reasonable accommodation may violate the ADA. See, e.g., Krocka v. Riegler, 958 F. Supp. 1333, 1342 (N. D. Ill. 1997) (holding that an unreasonable delay in implementing a 'reasonable accommodation' can constitute a discriminatory act and refusing to dismiss a claim that an eight-month delay in assigning an employee to the desired shift constituted a failure to reasonably accommodate); cf. Terrell v. USAir, 132 F.3d 621, 627 (11th Cir. 1998) (affirming grant of summary judgment to an employer on employee's claim that it violated the ADA by failing to provide her with a special keyboard for three months and reasoning that the plaintiff had some access to the keyboard during that time and was not required to type when she had no access); Hartsfield v. Miami-Dade County, 90 F. Supp. 2d. 1363, 1371-73 (S.D. Fla. 2000) (granting summary judgment on employee's claim that ten-month delay in providing special equipment and training violated the ADA and holding that [w]here an accommodation is delayed an employer does not violate the ADA, as long as the employee receives some other accommodation or at least does not suffer adverse employment action); Powers v. Polygram Holding, Inc., 40 F. Supp. 2d 195, 202 (S.D. N.Y. 1999) (granting employer's motion for summary judgment on employee's claim that a three-week delay in granting a request for reduced hours violated the ADA); see generally Anderson v. Ross Stores, Inc., No. C 99-4056 CRB, 2000 WL 1585269, at  (N.D. Cal. Oct. 10, 2000) (collecting cases). In assessing these claims, courts have considered the following factors: the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, whether the employer has offered any alternative accommodations while evaluating a particular request, and whether the employer has acted in good faith. 55 Applying these standards, we conclude that MIC is entitled to summary judgment on Ms. Selenke's claim for failure to reasonably accommodate her. As to the delay in installing the vent in the darkroom at the 19th Street office, MIC has presented evidence that, when she received Ms. Selenke's complaints, Ms. Wright contacted the contractor who had replaced the ceiling. He informed her that the vent had not been removed from the darkroom. Although the contractor was incorrect, Ms. Selenke has presented no evidence indicating that Ms. Wright's initial reliance on the contractor was unreasonable. Moreover, when Ms. Selenke continued to complain, MIC retained an industrial hygienist to evaluate the darkroom and followed his recommendations by installing a vent. Additionally, MIC provided Ms. Selenke with another accommodation: it paid for a respirator mask for her to wear in the darkroom. Finally, there is no indication that MIC refused any requests for leave from Ms. Selenke during this time. Cf. Hartsfield, 90 F. Supp. 2d at 1373 (noting that the plaintiff was allowed breaks and leave time while awaiting the requested accommodation). 56 With regard to the alleged delay in implementing modifications at the Jackson Street office, the evidence is similar. In the fall of 1996, after receiving MIC's complaints, MIC hired a consulting firm to conduct air-flow testing. It followed the consultant's recommendations. Ms. Selenke acknowledged that, by late November 1996, MIC had made all the changes in the darkroom that she had requested. Moreover, during this period, MIC allowed Ms. Selenke to take leave. It also offered her an alternative position in the mobile unit, one in which she would not be required to work with darkroom chemicals. Although Ms. Selenke submitted a letter from her physician that he would not consider the assignment of [Ms. Selenke] to a Mobile Radiology Unit to allow convalescence to occur, Aplt's App., vol IV. at 775, that statement does not indicate that MIC's offer was unreasonable. The offer of a position in the mobile unit was for a permanent transfer, not for a period of convalescence. Moreover, it presented uncontroverted evidence that it had reduced the physical demands of the mobile unit job. Cf. Terrell, 132 F.3d 627 (noting availability of alternative accommodations in concluding that employer's delays were not unreasonable). 57 The other instance of MIC's alleged failure to take action also does not support Ms. Selenke's reasonable accommodation claim. Although MIC acknowledges that it did not implement the improvements to the ventilation system recommended in the April 1996 consultant's report, Ms. Selenke has failed to submit any evidence indicating that MIC's decision was driven by bad faith, as opposed to a practical concerns about substantial expenditures on an office that it would be vacating in several months because its lease had been terminated. Significantly, this consultant's report concluded that the chemical concentrations in the darkroom were well below current allowable levels. Aplt's App. vol. IV at 768. Although the consultant suggested additional modifications to the ventilation system, the ADA requires an employer to provide a reasonable accommodation, not the accommodation [the employee] would prefer. Rehling v. City of Chicago, 207 F.3d 1009, 1014 (7th Cir. 2000). Ms. Selenke presented no evidence indicating that, after replacing the vent in February 1996, MIC acted unreasonably by declining to follow the suggestions in the April 1996 consultant's report and deciding instead to wait to make further improvements after moving to the new facility. 58 We therefore conclude that MIC acted reasonably in implementing modifications to its 19th Street and Jackson Street offices, granting Ms. Selenke's leave requests, providing her with a respirator mask, and offering her an alternative position in the mobile unit. The district court's grant of summary judgment to MIC on her failure-to- accommodate claim is thus warranted on this alternative ground not reached by the district court.