A former Hillside (Ill.) police dispatcher has filed a federal civil lawsuit against the village claiming officials violated the federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) when they fired her for a medical condition–narcolepsy. According to Kenya Madden, she was hired in July 2007, and during training told a supervisor that she suffered from narcolepsy, a chronic sleep disorder that includes sudden attacks of sleep or drowsiness. The supervisor asked Madden to resign, and when she refused to quit, she was fired just over a month from her hire date. According to the lawsuit, Madden filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which found there was reasonable cause to believe discrimination occurred. According to the lawsuit, Madden is under a doctor’s care, takes medication, and “was able to lead a normal life.” Furthermore, her condition “never interfered with her ability to work as a dispatcher. Madden never fell asleep during her work as a dispatcher at Hillside.” The lawsuit asks for reinstatement, back pay and benefits, and unstated compensatory and punitive damages. Download (pdf) a copy of the lawsuit filing here.
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