Illegal To Fire Employee Because of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

An Ohio knife manufacturer has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly discriminating against an employee due to his disability.  The EEOC’s lawsuit alleges that a CNC machine operator suffered an anxiety attack while working for the company.  The employee left work because of the anxiety attack, and after learning about the employee’s disability (generalized anxiety disorder), the company asked the employee why he had not disclosed his disability to the company when he was hired.  The EEOC further alleges that the company requested a doctor’s note, which was provided, but the employee was fired anyway due to his disability.  The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employers from terminating employees due to disabilities, such as anxiety.  See EEOC v. Busse Combat Knife Co., No. 3:18-cv-00144 (N.D. Ohio).