City of New Bedford v. Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination

**What happened:** A City of New Bedford employee claimed his employer discriminated against him because of a disability (called "handicap" under Massachusetts law at the time). The worker filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), arguing the city treated him unfairly due to his condition. Initially, both an arbitrator and MCAD agreed with the employee and found that discrimination had occurred. **What the court decided:** The Massachusetts Supreme Court overturned those earlier decisions. The court ruled that the employee failed to prove he actually qualified as "handicapped" under state law. Without meeting this basic requirement, he couldn't win a discrimination case. The court sent the case back to be decided in favor of the city. **Why this matters for workers:** This case shows how important it is for workers to understand the legal definition of disability when filing discrimination claims. Simply having a medical condition isn't enough – workers must prove their condition meets specific legal requirements to be protected under anti-discrimination laws. Workers should document their conditions thoroughly and consider consulting with employment attorneys to understand whether their situations qualify for legal protection before filing formal complaints.