Dyrek, Gary M. v. Garvey, Jane

Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit·Decided June 20, 2003·No. 01-3533·Published

Opinion

In the United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit

No. 01-3533 GARY M. DYREK, Plaintiff-Appellant, v.

JANE GARVEY, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, Defendant-Appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

No. 00 C 6314—George W. Lindberg, Judge.

ARGUED FEBRUARY 21, 2002—DECIDED JUNE 20, 2003

Before FLAUM, Chief Judge, and HARLINGTON WOOD, JR. and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges.

HARLINGTON WOOD, JR., Circuit Judge. Appellant Gary Dyrek was employed by the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) as an Air Traffic Control Specialist (“ATCS”). FAA Air Traffic Control Specialists, also known as air traffic controllers, are responsible for directing air traffic, both on the ground and in the air. It is their duty to provide for the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic across U.S. airspace. FAA rules and regulations require an air traffic controller to maintain a valid medical certificate to minimize the effects of health concerns on system safety.

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Dyrek began working as an air traffic controller in 1981. During the time he worked at the FAA, Dyrek’s work performance was never criticized. However, by letter dated March 14, 2000, Dyrek was informed he was being terminated from his position effective March 17, 2000, “because of [his] inability to meet medical standards required for Air Traffic Control Specialists.” This termination letter was the culmination of nearly three years of discussions between Dyrek and the FAA regarding his health. In October 1993, Dyrek was diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus. In May 1997, Dyrek began taking daily injections of insulin for his diabetes. While the mere diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is a disqualifying condition for initial hire as an air traffic controller, an air traffic controller who becomes an insulin-using diabetic while employed by the FAA may maintain his or her medical certificate through “special consideration.”1 By a letter dated June 30, 1997, the Regional Flight Surgeon’s office temporarily withdrew Dyrek’s medical clearance for safety-related duties, based on a review of a medical report from Dyrek’s attending physician dated June 13, 1997 which stated Dyrek had been placed on insulin for his diabetes. According to the Regional Flight Surgeon’s letter, laboratory results indicated unsatisfac-

1 As we will discuss in more detail in our opinion, a medical clearance based on special consideration is granted based on a favorable review of an ATCS’s medical history and a comprehensive medical evaluation. The ATCS must also demonstrate stable control of his diabetes through proper diabetes education and skills. If medical clearance is granted based on special consideration , the ATCS, his supervisors, and his coworkers must adhere to strict FAA guidelines throughout the workday to ensure the ATCS is maintaining stable control of his blood sugar to prevent dangerous diabetic complications that might interfere with air safety.

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tory control of Dyrek’s diabetes. The Regional Flight Surgeon requested a comprehensive medical report from Dyrek’s attending physician to assist in the assessment of Dyrek’s medical status. The letter stated that the medical report should contain information concerning medications , Dyrek’s current status, the doctor’s prognosis and recommendations, the treatment regimen, and results of any tests performed. Enclosed with the letter was a form authorizing payment by the FAA for the writing of the report.

When Dyrek’s medical clearance was withdrawn, he was assigned to perform only limited “A-side duties.” “A-side duties” do not include any responsibility for air traffic control, and a medical clearance is not required in order to perform “A-side duties.” Prior to 1995, the FAA had “A-side positions” in which individuals performed only “A-side duties.” This “A-side position” was a separate position from that of air traffic controller. However, “A-side positions ” were abolished by the FAA in 1995. Currently, air traffic controllers are required to perform “A-side duties” as a part of their job. The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association have an agreement that allows the FAA to assign air traffic controllers who are temporarily medically disqualified to perform only “A-side duties,” which allows those air traffic controllers to continue working despite their lack of medical clearance. According to the deposition testimony of Deputy Regional Flight Surgeon Dr. Robert Liska, prior to 1995, there were no insulin-using diabetic air traffic controllers who were medically certified to work in safety-related positions. However, the FAA periodically issued Medical Guideline Letters setting out medical protocols which would allow for certification of insulin-using air traffic controllers. These protocols were designed to collect and interpret information on a case-by-case basis and set forth standards to help the Regional Flight Surgeons in 4 No. 01-3533

understanding whether an insulin-using individual was “safe” to perform safety-related air traffic control duties. For example, Medical Guideline Letter MGL-B-86, titled “Medical clearance; diabetic air traffic control specialists who use insulin” stated, “Clearance may be granted and shall be based on the medical history, on the results of a comprehensive medical evaluation, on documentation of proper education regarding diabetes, and on consideration of the diabetes control skills demonstrated by each subject ATCS.” According to MGL-B-86, “Continued clearance requires control of diabetes with prevention of hypoglycemia through close monitoring and maintenance of appropriate blood glucose levels throughout every work day.”

In 1997, Medical Guideline Letter MGL-B-5a-0026, titled “Guidance for Application of Medical Retention Standards for Air Traffic Control Specialists,” was in effect. With respect to diabetes mellitus, MGL-B-5a-0026 states recurrent evidence of noncontrol, including blood sugar test results showing elevated Hemoglobin A1C (“A1C”) levels and elevated fasting blood sugar (“FBS”) levels, are grounds for disqualification. According to MGL-B-5a-0026, A1C levels at twelve percent or higher indicate uncontrolled diabetes while A1C levels of six to seven percent indicate excellent diabetes control.2 In response to the June 30, 1997 letter withdrawing his medical clearance, Dyrek submitted a medical report dated July 15, 1997 from his endocrinologist Dr. Steven Bielski. By memo dated July 24, 1997, the office of the Regional Flight Surgeon notified Dyrek that, based on information contained in Dr. Bielski’s July 15th report, it had been determined that Dyrek’s diabetes was “not well

2 An A1C test gives a long-term measure of how well a diabetic’s blood sugar has been controlled.

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controlled.” The memo stated once Dyrek “established stable control” of his diabetes, he would need to submit “a narrative medical report from [his] attending physician” documenting control. It set out six specific areas which needed to be addressed in the report—diagnosis, medications , current status, prognosis and recommendations, treatment regimen, and results of any tests performed.

On April 24, 1998, the office of the Regional Flight Surgeon again contacted Dyrek by memo. The memo read as follows:

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Dyrek, Gary M. v. Garvey, Jane, (7th Cir. 2003).

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