Hostettler v. Coll. of Wooster

• Decision Date: 17 July 2018
• Docket Number: No. 17-3406,17-3406
• Citation: Hostettler v. Coll. of Wooster, 895 F.3d 844 (6th Cir. 2018)
• Parties: Heidi HOSTETTLER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. The COLLEGE OF WOOSTER, Defendant-Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Sixth Circuit

895 F.3d 844

Heidi HOSTETTLER, Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.The COLLEGE OF WOOSTER, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 17-3406

United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

Argued: March 9, 2018

Decided and Filed: July 17, 2018

ARGUED: Daniel P. Petrov, THORMAN PETROV GROUP CO., LPA, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellant.Peggy J. Schmitz, CRITCHFIELD, CRITCHFIELD & JOHNSTON, LTD., Wooster, Ohio, for Appellee.ON BRIEF: Daniel P. Petrov, Lara S. Nochomovitz, THORMAN PETROV GROUP CO., LPA, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellant.Peggy J. Schmitz, Kimberly L. Hall, CRITCHFIELD, CRITCHFIELD & JOHNSTON, LTD., Wooster, Ohio, for Appellee.

Before: DAUGHTREY, GIBBONS, and WHITE, Circuit Judges.

MARTHA CRAIG DAUGHTREY, Circuit Judge.

Heidi Hostettler was fired from the College of Wooster’s Human Resources Department when she was unable to return to work on a full-time basis as she was recovering from postpartum depression and separation anxiety.She sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 – 12213(2012);Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e – 2000e-17; the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA),29 U.S.C. §§ 2601 – 2654;andChapter 4112 of the Ohio Revised Code.¹The district court granted summary judgment to Wooster on all claims.The lynchpin of the district court’s decision was its conclusion that Hostettler did not make out a prima facie case under the ADA because she could not meet an essential function of the position—full-time work—and so was not otherwise qualified for the job.Because genuine disputes of material fact remain, we reverse the judgment of the district court and remand for trial.

BACKGROUND

Background of the ADA

Nearly one in every five Americans has a disability.MATTHEW W. BRAULT, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES : 2010 4 (2012).Yet at the time of the last census report, a mere 41% of people with disabilities between the ages of 21 and 64 were employed.Id.Although "physical or mental disabilities in no way diminish a person’s right to fully participate in all aspects of society,"42 U.S.C. § 12101(a)(1), these numbers reflect the harsh reality that "people with disabilities, as a group, occupy an inferior status in our society, and are severely disadvantaged ... economically,"id.§ 12101(a)(6).

Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 to "assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency" for individuals with disabilities.42 U.S.C. § 12101(a)(8)(pre-2008amendments).To that end, the law broadly prohibits "discriminat[ion] against a qualified individual on the basis of disability" as it applies to aspects of employment including hiring, advancement, and firing.42 U.S.C. § 12112(a).

But years of court decisions narrowly defining who qualifies as an individual with disabilities left the ADA too compromised to achieve its purpose.In response, Congress passed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) to invalidate those decisions and to "restore the intent and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act."Pub. L. No. 110–325,122 Stat. 3553.In passing the ADAAA, Congress reasserted its goal of "provid[ing] clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards" to implement a "comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities."42 U.S.C. § 12101(b)(1), (2).It is against that background that this case must be viewed.

Factual and Procedural Background

Heidi Hostettler was hired as an HR Generalist by the College of Wooster in late summer 2013.At the time that she was interviewed and took the position, she was four-months pregnant.Throughout the hiring process, Hostettler was open about her pregnancy.And during negotiations, when Hostettler and Wooster’s HR team discussed leave, Hostettler was told that they would be willing to accommodate her pregnancy.Wooster’s official policy was to allow new employees 12 weeks unpaid maternity leave under the FMLA, even if they did not otherwise qualify for leave under the law.

For the first five months—before her maternity leave—Hostettler’s employment seemed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement.As an HR Generalist, Hostettler helped managers with employee relations, including performance-improvement plans; participated in recruiting new hires for the college; and designed training programs, among other duties.She worked full-time, regularly from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but sometimes until 6:00 p.m.And when necessary, she organized trainings or answered email and phone calls in the evenings and on the weekends.Although Hostettler was working more than 40 hours per week, she contends that the job required "probably thirty, thirty-five" hours a week.She explained that in the extra time she sought out more work so that she could have something to do.

Hostettler started her maternity leave at the beginning of February and took her full 12 weeks.She was slated to return to work at the end of April.But as the time to return to work approached, Hostettler experienced severe postpartum depression and separation anxiety.Hostettler’s OB/GYN, Dr. David Seals, testified that "she had one of the worst cases of separation anxiety" that he had ever seen.Seals explained that she did not seem like herself and that she cried during almost every appointment with him.He prescribed her an antidepressant.

Seals also thought that it would be a bad idea for Hostettler to return to work right away, and testified that he believed that "it was medically necessary that [Hostettler] could work a reduced schedule."He suggested that she return to work on a part-time basis for the "foreseeable future."He thought that Hostettler would be able to return to work on a full-time basis in "a month or two," and that the symptoms of postpartum depression and separation anxiety rarely last longer than six months.

Concerned that she could not return to work, Hostettler met with her direct supervisor, Marcia Beasley, and explained how she was doing and that she would need more time before coming back.According to Hostettler, Beasley was "sympathetic and understood."And so Hostettler did not return to work at the end of April.

In the beginning of May, Seals submitted to Wooster an Intent to Return to Work Form (under the FMLA), stating that Hostettler needed to work a reduced schedule of three days a week but put no restrictions on her work activities.When Hostettler returned to work, Beasley recommended that instead of working two or three full days a week, Hostettler work five half days a week.Seals submitted an addendum to his certification, advising five half-time days a week.In response, Wooster informed Hostettler that it would accommodate her part-time schedule until June 30, at which time she should submit an updated certification from her doctor.Hostettler returned to work in late May, having been on leave longer than the originally agreed 12 weeks.

The parties disagree over what happened during the following two months.Hostettler continued to suffer from depression and anxiety.And if she had to work much later than noon—her modified stop time—she would have panic attacks, during which she would have difficulty breathing, thinking, and even walking.But with an accommodated schedule, Hostettler contends that she was able to do everything required of her position.She stated that she responded to all employee-relations issues, organized required trainings, and handled recruiting matters.And if an issue arose when she was out of the office, she either would handle it by answering emails in the evening or Beasley would ask her to address it the next morning.When another HR employee went on maternity leave, Hostettler contends that she did not "feel[ ] the pinch" of the department being down another employee.Nor was Hostettler aware of any problems in the department, in part because Beasley never mentioned any in their conversations.

One of Hostettler’s colleagues, Natalie Richardson, agreed with Hostettler’s assessment of her work situation.In a declaration, Richardson explained that she believed that Hostettler could do much of her work from home—a common practice in the department—and knew that Hostettler was in fact replying to work emails in the evenings when on her modified schedule.Richardson also explained that during Hostettler’s modified schedule, she was not aware of any "employee relations, recruiting, or training issues, programs, or assignments that Ms. Hostettler failed to complete."And more broadly, Richardson was "unaware of any human resources issue, program, or assignment of any kind that the Department failed to complete professionally and timely during the same period."

Apparently, Beasley agreed with much of what Hostettler and Richardson concluded—she testified that Hostettler "related to employees well and she could work through issues with employees and she seemed to be quick to identify solutions."Throughout Hostettler’s time at Wooster, there had been no complaints about her work or conduct.Beasley stated that Hostettler never failed to perform any responsibility or finish any assignment in a timely manner.And her first evaluation, done in June or July of 2014—shortly before Hostettler was fired—contained no negative feedback but instead concluded that "Heidi is a great colleague and a welcome addition to the HR team!"

At the same time, however, Beasley felt that Hostettler’s modified schedule put a strain on Beasley and the rest of the department.She testified that during that time, Hostettler did not perform critical functions of her job, such as filling job openings, and leading trainings and lunch programs.As a result, Beasley was "just running from one thing to another to get things done" and was "really overwhelmed and left without anyone in the office to help with responsibilities and tasks that came up."She also contended that work in the department was left...