Brettler v. Purdue University

What Happened
A graduate student at Purdue University claimed the school discriminated against them and failed to provide reasonable accommodations for their disability when they lost their graduate assistantship position. The student argued that Purdue treated them unfairly because of their disability and didn't make necessary adjustments to help them succeed in their role.

What the Court Decided
The court sided completely with Purdue University. The judge found that the university had valid, non-discriminatory reasons for ending the student's assistantship. Specifically, Purdue could prove the decision was based on the student's poor academic performance and negative work evaluations, not their disability. The court determined these were legitimate business reasons that had nothing to do with discrimination.

Why This Matters for Workers
This case shows that employers can still take action against workers with disabilities if there are genuine performance problems. Having a disability doesn't protect someone from being disciplined or terminated for poor work performance. However, workers should know that employers must still provide reasonable accommodations and cannot use disability as a reason for adverse employment actions. The key is whether the employer can demonstrate legitimate, performance-based reasons for their decisions.