Skip to main content

Anderson v. Bright Horizons Children's Ctrs., L.L.C.

Ohio Ct. App.March 29, 2022No. 20AP-291Cited 12 times
Facing something similar at work?Check your rights — free, private, no sign-up

Case Details

Judge(s)
Klatt
Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
Published
Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
summary judgment

Related Laws

No specific laws identified for this ruling.

Claim Types

DiscriminationFailure to Accommodate

Excerpt

The trial court erred in granting summary judgment on plaintiff's claims for "regarded as" disability discrimination in violation of R.C. 4112.02(A) and aiding and abetting discrimination in violation of R.C. 4112.02(J), but the trial court did not err in granting summary judgment on plaintiff's claims for "actual" disability discrimination in violation of R.C. 4112.02(A), failing to accommodate plaintiff's alleged disability, or failing to engage in the interactive process to determine a reasonable accommodation for plaintiff's alleged disability. Furthermore, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in dealing with the parties' discovery disputes.

What This Ruling Means

**Anderson v. Bright Horizons: Mixed Victory in Disability Discrimination Case** This case involved a worker who sued Bright Horizons Children's Centers, claiming the company discriminated against her based on disability and failed to provide reasonable accommodations. The employee argued that the company treated her unfairly both because she actually had a disability and because they wrongly viewed her as disabled. The Ohio appeals court delivered a mixed ruling. The court sided with the worker on some claims, finding that the trial court was wrong to dismiss her arguments about being "regarded as" disabled and claims that someone helped with the discrimination. However, the court upheld the dismissal of her other claims, including that she faced discrimination due to an actual disability and that the company failed to accommodate her needs or properly discuss potential accommodations. This ruling matters for workers because it shows that even if you don't have a legally recognized disability, you may still have protection if your employer treats you as if you do have one. It also reinforces that companies can be held accountable when supervisors or coworkers actively participate in discrimination. However, the case demonstrates that proving actual disability discrimination and accommodation failures remains challenging and requires strong evidence.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

Similar Rulings

Vega
2nd CircuitSep 2015
Remanded
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. St. Francis Xavier Parochial School and St. Francis Xavier Church
D.C. CircuitJul 1997
Remanded
Phelps Dodge Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Supreme CourtApr 1941
Plaintiff Win
People in re S.L. and A.L
COLOCTAPPDec 2017

The Rio Blanco County Department of Human Services (Department) became involved with the parents in this case as a result of concerns about the children's welfare due to the condition of the family home, the parents' use of methamphetamine, and criminal cases involving the parents. Attempts at voluntary services failed, and on the Department's petition for dependency and neglect, the district court ultimately terminated the parents' rights. On appeal, the parents contended that the Department failed to make reasonable efforts to reunify them with their children. Specifically, the parents contended that the Department did not give them sufficient time to complete the services under their treatment plans and failed to accommodate their drug testing needs. The termination hearing was not held until more than a year after the motion to terminate was filed. For nine months before the motion to terminate was filed, the Department provided numerous services to the parents, including substance abuse therapy, therapeutic visitation supervision, drug abuse monitoring, and a parental capacity evaluation. The Department also provided counseling for the children. Both parents missed drug tests and tested positive during the testing period, and both were arrested for possession of methamphetamine during the pendency of the case. The Department made reasonable accommodations to meet the parents' needs and the parents had sufficient time to comply with their treatment plans. The record supports the trial court's findings that termination was appropriate because (1) the court-approved appropriate treatment plan had not been complied with by the parents or had not been successful in rehabilitating them (2) the parents were unfit and (3) the conduct or condition of the parents was unlikely to change within a reasonable time. Father also contended that the trial court's decision to interview the 9-year-old twin children together in chambers fundamentally and seriously affected the basi

Defendant Win
Coleman
7th CircuitJun 2017
Remanded

Browse Related

Facing something similar at work?

Court rulings like this one are useful, but every situation is different. Take 2 minutes to see which laws may protect you — it's free, private, and no account is required to start.

This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

See something wrong, or named in this ruling and want it corrected or redacted? Request a correction.