Opinion ID: 765624
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficiency of evidence of working impairment

Text: 55 Under the law of this Circuit, the EEOC's regulations are entitled to great deference in interpreting the ADA. 5 Reeves v. Johnson Controls World Servs., 140 F.3d 144, 150 n.3 (2d Cir. 1998). The EEOC's regulations explain that, in evaluating a claimed impairment to the major life activity of working, [t]he term substantially limits means significantly restricted in the ability to perform either a class of jobs or a broad range of jobs in various classes as compared to the average person having comparable training, skills and abilities. 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(j)(3)(i) (1997). If the plaintiff establishes only the inability to perform a single, particular job, he has failed to establish a substantial impairment to his major life activity of working. Id. In evaluating whether an individual's major life activity of working is substantially impaired, we consider the following factors: 56 (A) The geographical area to which the individual has reasonable access; 57 (B) The job from which the individual has been disqualified because of an impairment, and the number and types of jobs utilizing similar training, knowledge, skills or abilities, within that geographical area, from which the individual is also disqualified because of the impairment (class of jobs); and/or 58 (C) The job from which the individual has been disqualified because of an impairment, and the number and types of other jobs not utilizing similar training, knowledge, skills or abilities, within that geographical area, from which the individual is also disqualified because of the impairment (broad range of jobs in various classes). 59 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(3)(ii) (1997). 60 Thus, the question for our review is whether the evidence presented, liberally construed, supports the finding that Muller was foreclosed from the class of jobs including correctional officer. An impairment that disqualifies a person from only a narrow range of jobs is not considered a substantially limiting one. Heilweil v. Mount Sinai Hospital, 32 F.3d 718, 723 (2d Cir. 1994). It is undisputed that Muller could not work as a corrections officer at Midstate under prevailing conditions. Muller seeks to define the applicable class of jobs as correctional officer and further argues that his disability prevents him from working as a correctional officer in any facility. Although the evidence supports this conclusion, precedent indicates that Muller's class of jobs cannot be defined so narrowly. 61 The position of correctional officer constitutes a single, particular job, and a limitation on a single, particular job cannot constitute a substantial limitation of the major life activity of working. See Wernick v. Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 91 F.3d 379, 383-84 (2d Cir. 1996). By way of comparison, courts have held that (i) a disability that precludes piloting an airplane does not impair working because the relevant class of jobs includes ground trainer, flight instructor, and a management or administrative employee of an airline, see Witter v. Delta Air Lines, Inc., 138 F.3d 1366, 1370-71 (11th Cir. 1998); (ii) an inability to work as a police officer is insufficient to establish impairment of working, Miller v. City of Springfield, 146 F.3d 612, 615 (8th Cir. 1998); seeDaley v. Koch, 892 F.2d 212, 215 (2d Cir. 1989) (reaching same result as Miller under Rehabilitation Act); and (iii) an inability to work as a firefighter does not suffice because firefighting does not constitute a class of jobs. Bridges v. City of Bossier, 92 F.3d 329, 334-36 (5th Cir. 1996); seeWelsh v. City of Tulsa, 977 F.2d 1415, 1416 20 (10th Cir. 1992) (reaching same result as Bridges under Rehabilitation Act). 62 Muller argues that his working ability is limited because he is unable to work in any environment where there will be cigarette smoke or environmental irritants. DOCS, in reply, notes that Muller has been employed as a salesman, bank employee, and substitute teacher during the pendency of this litigation. DOCS also points out that Muller would be qualified to work as a security guard in an office building or as a guard at the smoke-free county jail. Either of these two jobs would fit into a properly defined class of jobs that includes correctional officer because each seems to utilize similar training, knowledge, skills or abilities as the position of correctional officer. See29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(j)(3)(ii)(B). Muller presented no evidence that he was precluded from jobs other than correctional officer in his geographic area. His failure to do so, and his insistence that his class of jobs is limited to correctional officer, compels our holding that there was insufficient evidence before the jury for it to have concluded that Muller was substantially limited in his major life activity of working. 63