Opinion ID: 545510
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Right of Privacy under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments

Text: 52 Finally, Leckelt contends that the defendants' request that he divulge the results of his HIV antibody test violated his right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment, as applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable governmental searches and seizures. Thus, the permissibility of a particular practice 'is judged by balancing its intrusion on the individual's Fourth Amendment interests against its promotion of legitimate governmental interests.'  Skinner v. Railway Labor Executives' Ass'n, 489 U.S. 602, 109 S.Ct. 1402, 1414, 103 L.Ed.2d 639 (1989) (citations omitted). Rejecting Leckelt's Fourth Amendment challenge, the district court held that [g]iven these longstanding infection control practices and procedures, and plaintiff's long-term relationship with an individual who had died of AIDS, plaintiff did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy with regards to his test results. Leckelt, 714 F.Supp. at 1391. The court went on to conclude, alternatively, that [d]efendants' interest in knowing plaintiff's health status far outweighed the limited intrusion of requiring him to produce the results of a test he had already taken voluntarily. Id. at 1392. 53 Leckelt knew that TGMC's infection control policies required its employees to report exposure to any infectious diseases and to undergo serological testing where necessary. Although there was no written policy specifically targeted at HIV infection or AIDS, the existing policies were sufficient to encompass such diseases as HIV. Leckelt was treated in 1984 for lymphadenopathy, a condition that is symptomatic of recent HIV infection and that his treating physician advised him might be related to AIDS. Leckelt also had been the roommate for eight years of Potter, who was diagnosed with AIDS and later died of AIDS-related complications. In light of Potter's illness, Leckelt was concerned about his own health and on his own initiative underwent HIV antibody testing in New Orleans. Under the circumstances, Leckelt at least had a significantly diminished expectation of privacy in the results of his HIV antibody test. See Skinner, 109 S.Ct. at 1418 ([T]he expectations of privacy of covered employees are diminished by reason of their participation in an industry that is regulated pervasively to ensure safety, a goal dependent, in substantial part, on the health and fitness of covered employees.). 22 54 On a number of occasions, the Supreme Court has recognized the strong governmental interest in a safe, efficient workplace. See e.g., id. at 1414-15; National Treasury Employees Union v. Von Raab, 489 U.S. 656, 109 S.Ct. 1384, 1392-93, 103 L.Ed.2d 685 (1989). Likewise, TGMC had a strong interest in protecting the health of its employees and patients by preventing the spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV. Under all the circumstances respecting Leckelt, including his apparent homosexuality, medical condition, and long-term relationship with a man who was hospitalized with and ultimately died from AIDS-related complications, Smith was justified in demanding the results of Leckelt's HIV antibody test. Leckelt's duties as a licensed practical nurse provided opportunities for HIV transmission, and if he were infected with HIV, he would need to be advised of the risks and be evaluated periodically as to whether he could safely and adequately perform his duties. Thus, we conclude that TGMC's strong interests in maintaining a safe workplace through infection control outweighed the limited intrusion on any privacy interest of Leckelt in the results of his HIV antibody test. 23 55 In sum, for the reasons stated, we conclude that, under the adequately supported findings of the district court, TGMC's requirement that Leckelt submit the results of his HIV antibody test, its refusal to permit him to work pending the submission of his test results, and its discharge of him for his persistent failure to submit these results, did not violate the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Louisiana Civil Rights for Handicapped Persons Act, the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, or Leckelt's right to privacy under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. The judgment of the district court is accordingly 56 AFFIRMED.