Langer said he expected his supervisors to give him deadlines for improvement, rather than fire him suddenly. The complaint asserts that Siggins never participated in an "interactive process" with Langer to negotiate accommodations.
GW's employee handbook states that employment may be terminated without notice and for any reason. The handbook also states that employees who exhibit poor work performance or habits may be fired if their performance does not improve after a probationary period and "counseling by your supervisor."
Jennifer Mathis, a lawyer at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, said that cases such as this are common, and employers often do not acknowledge depression as a treatable disability.
"There (are) a couple of cases specifically on this point, where people with psychiatric disabilities try to request accommodations and they get booted out the door before they even asked for it," Mathis said. She added that most of these cases do not make it to trial, but get decided in summary judgment.
GW law professor Peter Smith, an expert in family and medical leave, said the timing of the events do not help the University's case.
"If I was the University lawyer and the library has come to me, I would have said that the timing would have been enough to create a colorful claim that he was fired for taking leave," Smith said.
The University filed a motion to dismiss the case but Langer and his attorney have demanded a jury trial.
GW's employee handbook states that employment may be terminated without notice and for any reason. The handbook also states that employees who exhibit poor work performance or habits may be fired if their performance does not improve after a probationary period and "counseling by your supervisor."
Jennifer Mathis, a lawyer at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, said that cases such as this are common, and employers often do not acknowledge depression as a treatable disability.
"There (are) a couple of cases specifically on this point, where people with psychiatric disabilities try to request accommodations and they get booted out the door before they even asked for it," Mathis said. She added that most of these cases do not make it to trial, but get decided in summary judgment.
GW law professor Peter Smith, an expert in family and medical leave, said the timing of the events do not help the University's case.
"If I was the University lawyer and the library has come to me, I would have said that the timing would have been enough to create a colorful claim that he was fired for taking leave," Smith said.
The University filed a motion to dismiss the case but Langer and his attorney have demanded a jury trial.
