Cronan Case Study
FACTS
Paul Cronan was ill on and off for the first six months of 1985 with symptoms of AIDS-related complex. Because of this, Cronan had poor attendance and was frequently tardy. Cronan told his boss, O'Brian, about his medical condition in confidence, and O'Brian told his supervisor about Cronan's condition, who then told his supervisor.
Cronan was instructed to see the company doctor, whom he also disclosed his condition to. Cronan then received departmental sickness benefits, company-paid illness benefits, and, after receiving a note from his doctor stating that he was disabled, disability benefits.
Cronan's coworkers discovered that he had AIDS and started threatening to lynch him if he came back to work. Inappropriate graffiti was written on the bathroom stalls and employees insisted that the bathrooms be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Fearing bodily harm from his coworkers if he returned to work, Cronan asked to be transferred to a different facility, but received no response. NET sent a letter to Cronan offering him to return to his previous position, but did not mention the possibility of a new job assignment.
Cronan filed a lawsuit against NET stating that the company violated state privacy laws by disclosing Cronan's condition and that he was discriminated against because of his AIDS handicap. NET claimed that Cronan voluntarily disclosed his condition and no serious invasion of privacy had occurred. NET also claimed that Cronan did not suffer from a handicap.
When Cronan's disability benefits ran out in June 1986, he started receiving long-term disability benefits and was therefore no longer considered a NET employee. Cronan's long-term disability benefits and social security benefits were only half of his prior wages, so he desired to return to NET as a full time employee and pressed his attorney for a settlement. Cronan and NET reached a settlement allowing...
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