Mental Illness is a Protected Disability Too

The EEOC recently filed a lawsuit against electronic manufacturer Interconnect Cable Technology Corporation.  The EEOC’s lawsuit claims that the company discriminated against one of its employees because of her disability.  She had been promoted many times and worked in numerous roles for Interconnect during her 20 years there.  In June 2019, she was hospitalized and also diagnosed with major depressive disorder.  After she returned to work the week after this diagnoses, Interconnect’s Chief Financial Officer stripped her of her job duties, then demoted her shortly after this, and finally fired her just a few months later.  This alleged conduct is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees due to a disability, including mental illnesses.  See EEOC v. Interconnect Cable Technology Corp., No. 20-644 (M.D. Fla.).