Estate of Szleszinski Ex Rel. Szleszinski v. Labor & Industry Review Commission

# Court Rules for Worker in Disability Discrimination Case **What Happened** Szleszinski worked for Midwest Coast Transport and was fired from his job. He claimed the company discriminated against him because of a disability. The company argued that safety concerns justified the termination. When Szleszinski appealed to a labor agency called LIRC, the agency initially sided with the employer. **The Court's Decision** Wisconsin's appellate court disagreed with LIRC and ruled in Szleszinski's favor. The court found that Midwest Coast Transport did discriminate against him based on his disability. The court also rejected the employer's safety defense, meaning the company's safety argument was not valid enough to justify firing him. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case sends an important message: employers cannot simply claim "safety concerns" to fire workers with disabilities without proper investigation and documentation. Companies must explore reasonable alternatives to termination. Workers with disabilities have legal protections, and courts will examine whether discrimination actually occurred—not just accept an employer's stated reasons at face value.