Brown-Morrison v. Vinfen Corporation

**Employee's Discrimination Claim Over Short Stature Rejected by Court** Sharon Basile sued American Motors Corporation (AMC), claiming the company discriminated against her because of her short stature. She argued that her height qualified as a disability under Wisconsin's Fair Employment Act, and that AMC treated her unfairly because of it. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against Basile. The court found that her short stature did not meet the legal definition of a handicap or disability under state law. To qualify as a disability, a condition must make normal activities unusually difficult or significantly limit someone's ability to work. The court determined that Basile's height didn't create these limitations. Additionally, the court found that AMC didn't view her as having a disability that would affect her job performance. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling shows that not every physical characteristic qualifies as a disability under employment discrimination laws. To win a disability discrimination case, workers must prove their condition substantially limits major life activities or work functions, and that their employer treated them poorly because of it. Workers who believe they face discrimination should document specific examples of how their condition affects their work and how their employer's actions were discriminatory.