Johnson v. Brennan

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedMarch 9, 2020
Docket1:17-cv-08878
StatusUnknown

This text of Johnson v. Brennan (Johnson v. Brennan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Brennan, (N.D. Ill. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION

SHARON JOHNSON, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Case No. 17 C 8878 ) MEGAN J. BRENNAN, Postmaster General, ) Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer United States Postal Service, ) ) Defendant. )

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER Plaintiff Sharon Johnson has worked for the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the Chicago area for more than 25 years, initially as a mail processing clerk and, at all times relevant to this lawsuit, as a sales service and distribution clerk. Johnson was diagnosed with anxiety and depressive disorder in March 2011. She has sued Defendant Megan J. Brennan, the Postmaster General of USPS, for alleged discrimination on the basis of those disabilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. § 12111 et seq.1 Specifically, Johnson claims that her supervisors at the Lincoln Park post office discriminated against her by (1) failing to provide an accommodation in 2013; (2) having the postal police escort her from the premises and putting her on emergency placement status on September 9, 2013; (3) mocking her disabilities; and (4) depriving her of sharp tools that she needs to do her job.2 Defendant now moves for

1 Because the ADA does not apply to federal agencies, the court treats Johnson's claims as arising under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq. See Hancock v. Potter, 531 F.3d 474, 478 n.4 (7th Cir. 2008); Dyrek v. Garvey, 334 F.3d 590, 597 n.3 (7th Cir. 2003). "In determining whether a violation of the Rehabilitation Act occurred in the employment context," courts use "the standards set out in the ADA." Dyrek, 334 F.3d at 597 n.3; see also, e.g., Sansone v. Brennan, 917 F.3d 975, 979 n.1 (7th Cir. 2019); Scheerer v. Potter, 443 F.3d 916, 918-19 (7th Cir. 2006).

2 Johnson's original complaint alleged, in addition, that Defendant violated the ADA by (1) releasing her medical information to third parties (see Compl. [1], Count II) and (2) intentionally inflicting emotional distress through disability-related harassment (see id., Count III). The court dismissed Count II without prejudice on August 6, 2018, noting that the parties failed to summary judgment on the remaining claims. For the reasons discussed below, Defendant's motion is denied. BACKGROUND

Johnson has worked for USPS since September 1994. (Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. [51] ¶ 2.) She began as a mail processing clerk, meaning that she "[p]rocess[ed] . . . letters on the automation machine." (Johnson Deposition Transcript ("Johnson Dep."), Ex. C to Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Stat. [51-4], 8:7-15.) In June 2006, Johnson moved into her current role as a sales service and distribution clerk. (Id. at 10:10-14, 10:25-11:3; see also Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. ¶ 2.) Her duties include processing letters and packages and working at the "service window" selling stamps and other postal products. (Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. ¶ 2.) Johnson has worked at several post offices in the Chicago area. She currently works at the Morgan Park location (see id.), but the events relevant to this lawsuit occurred primarily at the Lincoln Park location, where Johnson worked from roughly June 2006 to October 2013. (See id. ¶ 14; Johnson Dep. 10:10-24.) In March 2011—shortly after an incident with a supervisor that is unrelated to this case— Johnson was diagnosed with anxiety and depressive disorder. (Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. ¶ 3.) Defendant agrees that anxiety and depressive disorder qualify as disabilities under the ADA (see, e.g., Def.'s Mem. in Supp. of Mot. for Summ. J. ("Def.'s Mot.") [44], 4-6), and Johnson's Rehabilitation Act claims are based on these disabilities. According to Johnson, between September 2012 and March 2013, USPS received three letters from her doctor concerning her anxiety and depressive disorder. (See Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Stat. [51] ¶¶ 8-10.) In two of the letters, Johnson's doctor wrote that she was experiencing "stress, anxiety and depression related to stress on the job." (Sept. 17, 2012 Ltr., Ex. G to Pl.'s L.R. 56.1

address whether there is a private right of action under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). (Order [28].) The court dismissed Count III "without prejudice to Plaintiff's recovering damages that include any emotional distress she suffered for violation of her rights under ADA." (Id.) Johnson has not renewed these claims. Stat. [51-8], PL000869; Feb. 22, 2013 Ltr., Ex. G to Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Stat. [51-8], PL000870.) In the third letter, Johnson's doctor wrote that her "stress on the job is related to interactions with her managers and supervisors." (Mar. 8, 2013 Ltr., Ex. G to Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Stat. [51-8], PL000871.) The doctor appears to have written the letters to confirm that certain work absences were health- related. (See Feb. 22, 2013 Ltr. PL000870 ("Kindly excuse [Johnson's] absence from work as she was incapacitated . . . ."); Sept. 17, 2012 Ltr. PL000869 and Mar. 8, 2013 Ltr, PL000871) (confirming that Johnson was "under [the doctor's] care" and "incapacitated").) Defendant disputes that it received these letters, but "admits that Johnson told her psychologist that her anxiety and depression are related to her interactions with her supervisors." (See Def.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. [57] ¶¶ 8-10.) A. The May 15, 2013 Anxiety Attack and Subsequent Medical Leave Johnson suffered an anxiety attack on May 15, 2013 while she was working at the Lincoln Park post office. (Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. ¶ 4.) In a USPS accident report concerning the incident, Johnson stated that her immediate supervisor, Rondell Saddler, had been "waiting for [her] by the cage area to ask her where had she been for 40 minutes."3 (May 29, 2013 Accident Report, Ex. O to Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Stat. [51-16], PL000313.) According to Johnson, "Saddler's actions caused [her] mental stress and made her fear for her safety." (Id.) Johnson went to the emergency room and was treated for an "anxiety problem." (May 15, 2013 SJH Emergency Dep't Record, Ex. H to Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Stat. [51-9], 1; see Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. ¶ 4.) She went on medical leave from May 15, 2013 through September 3 or 4, 2013. (Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. ¶ 5.) During that time, Johnson completed an "intensive outpatient program where she was prescribed different medication than what she was currently taking to treat her anxiety and depression." (Def.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. ¶ 17.) Citing a letter from an outpatient facility written "[t]o whom it may concern," Johnson contends that USPS had a record of her participation in the outpatient program. (See Pl.'s L.R. 56.1

3 The parties do not explain what the "cage area" is. Stat. ¶ 18; May 24, 2013 Ingalls Memorial Hospital Ltr., Ex. I to Pl.'s L.R. 56.1 Stat. [51-10].)4 Defendant disputes that USPS had any such record. (See Def.'s L.R. 56.1 Resp. ¶ 18.) Johnson testified at her deposition that before the May 15, 2013 anxiety attack, she had made verbal requests to Saddler's supervisor—Janice Hall—to be transferred away from Saddler because of "unfair treatment and a hostile work environment." (Johnson Dep. 35:18-36:9.) The first time Johnson had a doctor "back . . .

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Bluebook (online)
Johnson v. Brennan, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-brennan-ilnd-2020.