Opinion ID: 3013755
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: changed her treatment to peritoneal

Text: dialysis in mid-December 1998. This From October 1986 through March regimen required Fiscus to administer the 2000, Cathy A. Fiscus served as an forty-five minute dialysis process to employee of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., herself every four to six hours each day. working at the company’s Sam’s At the start of her treatment, Fiscus was Warehouse Club Store in Pittsburgh, allowed to perform the dialysis at her Pennsylvania. During her twelve-year work premises. 2 Around the time she started discrimination and later filed suit in peritoneal dialysis, Fiscus suffered a fall at District Court. Fiscus alleged in her work and was absent from work for a complaint that she suffered from renal short period of time. In January 1999, disease and that “renal disease is a Fiscus returned to work and was removed disability within the ADA as it is [a] from her position as a baker/wrapper after physical impairment that substantially she indicated in a company form that she limits major life activities.” App. at 10. was not able to perform functions without Fiscus also claimed that Wal-Mart reasonable accommodation.1 When the removed her from her baker/wrapper store manager proposed that Fiscus take a position because of disability, failed to day shift position, such as a “Greeter,” accommodate her disability, and Fiscus requested that she be able to terminated her because of her disability. perform dialysis on Wal-Mart’s premises. App. at 11. This request for accommodation was denied, and Fiscus was informed that there Wal-Mart filed a motion for were no available positions for her. summary judgment, arguing that Fiscus Instead, the store manager advised her to was not “significantly limited in a major take disability leave, which she did. life activity.” Fiscus countered by asserting that she was substantially limited In September of 1999, Fiscus in the major life activity of “processing underwent a kidney transplant and was body waste and cleaning her blood” and unable to work for five and a half months, that “complete failure of [her] kidneys until March 30, 2000. On March 15, substantially limits her ability to perform 2000, Wal-Mart fired Fiscus because she the major life activities of eliminating had been unable to return to work within body waste; of cleaning her blood; and of a year.2 caring for herself.” Fiscus filed a charge with the Equal In his Report and Employment Opportunity Commission Recommendation, the Magistrate Judge (“EEOC”) alleging disab ility recommended that Wal-Mart’s motion for summary judgment be granted. She 1 concluded that “[t]he activities of Fiscus claims that the manager processing bodily waste and cleansing removed her as a baker/wrapper after she blood do not comport with the definition had informed him that she would need of ‘major life activity’ under the ADA” assistance with tasks that involved heavier and that these activities were “kidney lifting. function[s],” which were not a major life 2 Wal-Mart had a policy of activity under the ADA. The Magistrate allowing employees to take only up to one Judge also concluded that Fiscus had not year of medical leave. identified other “major life activities” that 3 were substantially limited by her renal was afflicted during 1998 and 1999 (until disease. her transplant), is a physical impairment. The kidneys are vital organs that clean the The District Court adopted the blood and help eliminate bodily waste. Magistrate Judge’s Report and Kidney failure is incurable; it requires Recommendation in its entirety and either regular dialysis—mechanical blood granted summary judgment for Wal-Mart. cleansing—or a transplant. But Wal-Mart We exercise plenary review over a grant argues, and the District Court agreed, that of summary judgment. Northview cleansing the blood and processing bodily Motors, Inc. v. Chrysler Motors Corp., waste do not constitute a “major life 227 F.3d 78, 87-88 (3d Cir. 2000). activity” within the meaning of the ADA. The District Court stated that Fiscus’s