Emily Kroll v. White Lake Ambulance Authority

691 F.3d 809, 26 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 1313, 2012 WL 3590284, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 17727
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedAugust 22, 2012
Docket10-2348
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 691 F.3d 809 (Emily Kroll v. White Lake Ambulance Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Emily Kroll v. White Lake Ambulance Authority, 691 F.3d 809, 26 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 1313, 2012 WL 3590284, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 17727 (6th Cir. 2012).

Opinions

MOORE, J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which DONALD, J., joined, and SUTTON, J., joined in part. SUTTON, J. (pp. 820-21), delivered a separate dissenting opinion.

OPINION

KAREN NELSON MOORE, Circuit Judge.

Emily Kroll (“Kroll”) appeals the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of White Lake Ambulance Authority (“WLAA”), Kroll’s former employer, on [811]*811claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Kroll argues that the district court erred in holding as a matter of law that the counseling WLAA ordered Kroll to attend does not constitute a “medical examination” under 42 U.S.C. § 12112(d)(4)(A). WLAA contends that the district court properly granted summary judgment in its favor and asserts, for the first time on appeal, that Kroll lacks standing to bring suit. This dispute presents an issue of first impression in the Sixth Circuit as to the meaning of “medical examination” under 42 U.S.C. § 12112(d)(4)(A). For the reasons that follow, we VACATE the judgment of the district court and REMAND for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

I. BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. Background

In September 2003, Kroll began working for WLAA as an Emergency Medical Technician (“EMT”) specialist. R. 1 (Complaint ¶ 6). Kroll was generally considered to be a “good EMT” and a “good employee” by her direct supervisor, Brian Binns (“Binns”). R. 50-15 (Binns Dep. at 66, 100). However, after Kroll became romantically involved with one of her coworkers at WLAA, Binns and the office manager, Jean Dresen (“Dresen”), received reports of concerns from WLAA employees about Kroll’s well being. See, e.g., R. 50-12 (Dresen Dep. at 27); R. 50-11 (Callison Dep. at 6,12,14).

Kroll maintains that on April 21, 2008 Dresen “requested” that Kroll “receive psychological counseling.”1 R. 1 (Complaint ¶ 8). Dresen informed Kroll that she had spoken with Mike Weesies (“Weesies”),2 an administrative case manager at the Hackley Workplace Health office,3 and that Weesies had referred Dresen to Mark Graves (“Graves”) regarding the availability of counseling. R. 50-12 (Dresen Dep. at 35-36). Dresen testified that she did not know Graves’s title or whether he was a mental-health professional. Id. at 36. Dresen told Kroll that she should contact the Red Cross regarding financial assistance for counseling, and also requested that Kroll authorize the release of her counseling records so that WLAA could monitor her attendance. Id. at 39-40. Dresen stated that Kroll was receptive to the idea of counseling and informed Dresen that she would pursue it “right away.” R. 50-13 (Dresen Letter at 3). Kroll, on the other hand, testified that Dresen instructed her to seek counseling from Kim Jahn (“Jahn”), but that Kroll was not amenable because Jahn “was a neighbor and friend of’ Dresen and Kroll had heard negative things about Jahn. R. 50-7 (Kroll Dep. at 139-40). There was no testimony as to Jahn’s profession or qualifications.

A few days later on April 28, 2008, then-director of WLAA, Binns, met with Kroll and Kroll’s father following a dispute between Kroll and another WLAA employee. R. 50-15 (Binns Dep. at 66); R. 1 (Complaint ¶ 10). Binns told Kroll that he had [812]*812received a “complaint in regards to [Kroll] screaming at a male acquaintance [on the phone] ... while ... driving a vehicle loaded with a patient ... [in] emergency status with lights and sirens.” R. 52-4 (Binns Dep. at 61). Because Binns was concerned about Kroll’s ability to perform her job safely, he told Kroll that she must attend counseling in order to continue working at WLAA. Id. at 61-62; R. 50-15 (Binns Dep. at 99). Binns testified that he didn’t “think” that he “used the term ‘psychological’ ” in describing the counseling that he asked Kroll to attend. R. 52-4 (Binns Dep. at 59). However, when asked whether it would “be fair to say” that Binns requested that Kroll “see a psychologist to discuss issues related to her mental health,” Binns responded affirmatively. Id. at 60. Kroll told Binns that she would not attend the counseling, left the meeting, and did not return to work at WLAA. R. 53-4 (Kroll Dep. at 178). At her deposition, Kroll testified that because WLAA told her that she would have to pay for the counseling out of pocket, she “told them [she] did not have the monetary funds to seek counseling,” although she would have been willing to attend the counseling if it was provided to her free of charge. Id.

B. Procedural History

On May 30, 2008, Kroll filed a sex-discrimination complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (“MDCR”) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). R. 1 (Complaint ¶ 12). On February 23, 2009, Kroll filed another complaint with the EEOC alleging ADA violations. Id. ¶ 13. On April 1, 2009, the EEOC and MDCR issued Kroll a right-to-sue letter for her sex-discrimination complaints, id. ¶ 14, and, on June 26, 2009, the EEOC issued Kroll a right-to-sue letter with respect to her ADA claims, id. ¶ 15.

On July 9, 2009, Kroll filed a complaint in federal district court against WLAA alleging violations of the ADA and Title VII. Id. ¶ 16. Specifically, Kroll contended that WLAA’s demand that Kroll attend counseling was in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 12112(d)(4) of the ADA (Count 1), that WLAA improperly fired Kroll in retaliation for her refusal to attend counseling (Count II), and that WLAA discriminated against Kroll on the basis of sex by requiring that she attend counseling (Count III).

On June 9, 2010, WLAA moved for summary judgment on all counts. R. 50 (Summary Judgment Mot.). In reply, Kroll stipulated to summary judgment on Count III, R. 51 (Summary Judgment Resp. at 1 n. 1), and did not present arguments in opposition to summary judgment on Count II, see id. On August 19, 2010, the district court granted WLAA’s motion for summary judgment, concluding that “counseling alone does not constitute a medical examination under the ADA” and that, therefore, WLAA’s requirement that Kroll attend counseling as a condition of continued employment was not governed by 42 U.S.C. § 12112(d)(4). R. 57 (Dist. Ct. Op. at 6).

Kroll filed a timely motion to alter or amend the judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e).4 R. 59 (Mot. to Alter Judgment). The district court denied the motion on September 20, 2010. R. 61 (Dist.Ct.Order). Kroll timely appeals.5 R. 62 (Notice of Appeal).

[813]*813II. ANALYSIS

A. Standard of Review

“We review a district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo.” Green v. Throckmorton, 681 F.3d 853, 859 (6th Cir.2012).

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Bluebook (online)
691 F.3d 809, 26 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 1313, 2012 WL 3590284, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 17727, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/emily-kroll-v-white-lake-ambulance-authority-ca6-2012.