Hannah P. v. Daniel Coats , 916 F.3d 327 ( 2019 )

PUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 17-1943
HANNAH P.,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
v.
DANIEL COATS, Director of the Office of The Director of National Intelligence
McLean, VA,
Defendant - Appellee,
and
MARK EWING, in his personal capacity McLean, VA,
Defendant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at
Alexandria. Claude M. Hilton, Senior District Judge. (1:16-cv-01030-CMH-IDD)
Argued: October 31, 2018 Decided: February 19, 2019
Before GREGORY, Chief Judge, THACKER and QUATTLEBAUM, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed in part, vacated in part, and remanded by published opinion. Judge Thacker
wrote the opinion, in which Judge Quattlebaum joined. Chief Judge Gregory wrote a
separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part.
ARGUED: Timothy Bosson, BOSSON LEGAL GROUP, Fairfax, Virginia, for
Appellant. Caroline D. Lopez, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
Washington, D.C., for Appellee. ON BRIEF: Chad A. Readler, Principal Deputy
Assistant Attorney General, Marleigh D. Dover, Civil Division, UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C.; Dana J. Boente, United States
Attorney, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Alexandria, Virginia, for
Appellee.
2
THACKER, Circuit Judge:
Appellant Hannah P. 1 (“Hannah”), a former employee of the Office of the Director
of National Intelligence (“Appellee”), asserts that Appellee discriminated against her
pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Rehabilitation Act”), 29 U.S.C. § 701, et
seq., and violated the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (“FMLA”), 29 U.S.C.
§ 2601, et seq., by not hiring her for a permanent position. The district court granted
summary judgment in Appellee’s favor as to all claims.
For the reasons explained below, we affirm the district court’s judgment as to the
Rehabilitation Act and FMLA retaliation claims. However, because a genuine issue of
material fact remains as to whether Hannah provided notice of her disability and interest
in FMLA leave sufficient to trigger Appellee’s duty to inquire, we hold that summary
judgment as to Hannah’s FMLA interference claim was not warranted. Accordingly, we
vacate that part of the district court’s judgment and remand Hannah’s FMLA interference
claim for further proceedings.
I.
A.
In March 2011, Appellee hired Hannah for a five-year term as an operations
analyst. In that position, Hannah participated in “long-term, in-depth studies into issues
1
Pursuant to a protective order, Hannah is identified by her first name and last
initial.
3
that had particular budgetary importance for the [c]ommunity.” J.A. 18. 2 Hannah
generally received glowing reviews from her supervisors. See, e.g., id. at 412 (describing
Hannah’s performance prior to 2015 as “outstanding” and noting her “energy/drive,
technical competence, superb communication and networking skills, and superior
analytic tradecraft”); id. at 350 (describing Hannah as “a high-performing employee”); id.at 391–410 (describing, repeatedly, various elements of Hannah’s performance as
“excellent” and “outstanding”).
B.
A few months after she was hired, Hannah was diagnosed with depression.
Hannah immediately informed at least two of her supervisors of her diagnosis, but she
did not request any accommodations at that time. Hannah treated her depression by
seeing a counselor and a psychiatrist and by taking prescribed medication.
In November 2013, Hannah was assigned to coordinate the responses of the
National Intelligence Director and Principal Deputy Director to Edward Snowden’s
unauthorized disclosures. 3 This role was “high stress” and required “frequent long hours
and weekend work coupled with meeting tight deadlines and dealing with a demanding
2
Citations to the “J.A.” refer to the Joint Appendix filed by the parties in this
appeal.
3
In 2013, National Security Agency subcontractor Edward Snowden leaked “the
biggest cache of top-secret documents in history,” which revealed numerous global
surveillance programs run by the United States government. Ewen MacAskill & Alex
Hern, Edward Snowden: ‘The People Are Still Powerless, but Now They’re Aware,’
Guardian (June 4, 2018), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/04/edward-
snowden-people-still-powerless-but-aware.
4
[National Security Council] customer.” J.A. 412. In fact, to accommodate the schedule
change that this role required, Appellee moved Hannah to a “maxi flex” schedule. Id. at
350–51. A “maxi flex” schedule requires an analyst to work a certain number of hours --
80 hours over a two-week period -- but does not dictate the exact hours that the analyst
must work per day. For Hannah, that meant starting and ending work later than
traditional business hours.
The Snowden assignment lasted 18 months and completed in January 2015.
However, Hannah continued her atypical working hours beyond the completion of the
Snowden assignment. Hannah’s supervisor “was expecting” that when the Snowden
assignment ended, Hannah’s hours “might become more normal.” J.A. 353. However,
for the first few months, he did not communicate with Hannah about returning to normal
business hours. Rather, he explained, he was “primarily concerned about establishing
what [Hannah’s] next task was going to be.” Id.By March 2015, Hannah’s co-workers perceived her schedule to be “erratic.” J.A.
413. Hannah arrived to work well after normal business hours and racked up numerous
unplanned absences. On some occasions Hannah was “extremely late,” sometimes
arriving after 2 PM. Id. On other occasions Hannah was unreachable for hours, often
missing and failing to return “repeated phone calls to her cell and home phone.” Id.When Hannah’s supervisors were able to reach her, they noted that she seemed “either
lethargic or almost unconcerned” about her lateness and absences. Id. They also noted
that her demeanor was “sad, very flat, and almost trance like.” Id. Around that time,
Hannah informed her supervisors that she “had a recent change in medication.” Id.5
C.
1.
Appellee made some accommodations for Hannah following the Snowden
assignment. First, after consulting with Hannah in January 2015, Appellee lightened
Hannah’s workload “to give her a chance to decompress” from the stress of the Snowden
assignment. J.A. 413 (internal quotation marks omitted). Second, multiple of Hannah’s
supervisors had “informal counseling sessions” with her “to discuss any issues that she
might be having” and to “urge her” to notify them if she was going to be late or absent.
Id.On March 19, 2015, one of Hannah’s supervisors met with Hannah directly to
address her attendance issues. Together, Hannah and her supervisors developed a plan to
reconcile Hannah’s depression with Appellee’s staffing needs. According to that plan,
Hannah was to arrive to work by 10 AM. If she was going to be absent or later than 10
AM, Hannah was to contact one of her supervisors in advance. If Hannah had not arrived
at work or contacted a supervisor by 11 AM, a supervisor would call her to determine
when she would arrive.
But, Hannah did not follow the plan. For example, the very next day after she and
her supervisors developed the plan, Hannah emailed her supervisors at 11:05 AM to
inform them that she would be arriving after 12 PM. Similarly, on March 31, Hannah
emailed her supervisors at 11:56 AM to inform them that she would not be coming into
work at all that day. On April 1, after Hannah had not arrived to work or contacted her
supervisors, Hannah’s second-level supervisor called her at 12:30 PM, at which time
6
Hannah reported “being unable to just get going.” J.A. 413. Later that day, when
Hannah finally arrived to work, her supervisor informed her that the plan they created
was not working.
At that same time, her supervisor revised the plan to require Hannah to arrive at
work by 10 AM or report to her supervisors in advance if she was going to be late or
absent. This “put the onus” on Hannah to contact her supervisors, rather than asking her
supervisors to contact her if she had not arrived at work by 11 AM. J.A. 90. Hannah
failed to follow this modified plan as well. In fact, she failed to comply on April 2 and
April 3, the two days following the meeting where the plan was modified.
According to Appellee, Hannah’s timeliness and attendance issues impacted her
performance, the performance of her peers, and the performance of her supervisors. Per
Appellee, Hannah’s “erratic” schedule was “noted by her teammates” and affected “unit
cohesion.” J.A. 413. Hannah’s failure to report her tardiness and absences as well as her
unresponsiveness required her management team to spend “significant time and energy”
tracking her down. Id. Additionally, because of Hannah’s absences, Hannah’s
supervisors were often forced to assign work that might have been assigned to Hannah to
other analysts.
2.
On April 9, 2015, just three weeks after the initial work plan was developed to
attempt to accommodate Hannah’s needs, Hannah again met with her supervisors. At
this meeting, Hannah’s supervisors informed her that they were referring her to the
Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”). EAP is a voluntary counseling service for
7
employees and their family members that provides “free, confidential, short-term mental
health[,] financial, and addictions counseling and referral to cleared community
providers.” J.A. 132. Hannah’s supervisors made an EAP appointment for her for the
following day, Friday, April 10. At that time, Hannah explained to her supervisors that
her psychiatrist recommended she take four weeks of medical leave. But, Hannah’s
supervisors insisted that she would need to meet with EAP before they could approve her
request for medical leave.
On the next business day following Hannah’s EAP session -- Monday, April 13 --
Hannah’s supervisor told Hannah he was willing to authorize her to take medical leave.
However, at that point, Hannah informed her supervisor that her leave request was “on
hold,” without further explanation. J.A. 170, 178.
On April 16, Hannah’s supervisor noted in an email that he had an “extended” 40-
minute discussion with Hannah’s EAP psychologist. J.A. 604. Hannah alleges that the
EAP psychologist “shared with [Hannah’s supervisor] details of what Hannah had
revealed in confidence at the EAP sessions.” Appellant’s Br. 17. Specifically, Hannah
alleges that the EAP psychologist told her supervisor that Hannah was concerned about
Appellee’s records retention policies, and that Hannah’s “difficulties in getting to work
were the result of a lack of motivation, not related to depression.” J.A. 540.
3.
Despite Hannah’s participation in EAP, her attendance problems persisted. For
example, on April 13, 2015, Hannah emailed her supervisors at 10:58 AM to inform them
that she would arrive to work by 11:30 AM. Similarly, on April 14, Hannah emailed her
8
supervisors at 11:08 AM to inform them that she would arrive to work by 12 PM. That
day, Hannah’s supervisors were not able to confirm her arrival to work until after 1:50
PM.
A week after advising her supervisors that her leave request was “on hold,” on
April 21, Hannah renewed her request for four weeks of medical leave. Hannah’s
supervisors approved that request on May 5. They required her to use her annual leave to
account for four-fifths of the four week leave period, and allowed her one day of sick
leave per week to make up the rest. Hannah began her leave the day it was approved.
On May 4, the day before Hannah began her leave of absence, Hannah’s
supervisors gave her a letter of expectations. That letter confirmed the revised attendance
and reporting plan. This plan required Hannah to arrive to work by 10 AM or report to
her supervisors by 9:30 AM if she was going to be late or absent.
4.
During this time, Hannah applied for three permanent positions within the Office
of the Director of National Intelligence. In February 2015, Hannah interviewed for two
permanent positions for which she was not selected. Shortly before taking her leave of
absence in May 2015, Hannah applied for a third full-time position, the Program Mission
Manager Cyber Position (“Cyber position”). She was interviewed for the Cyber position
on June 9, eight days after she returned from leave, and the interview panel recommended
her for the position. Her application was then forwarded to Appellee’s Chief
Management Officer, Mark Ewing, who recommended that Hannah not be selected for
the position “at this time,” stating that Hannah’s “recent performance is not consistent
9
with a potentially good employee.” J.A. 232. Hannah was informed that her application
had been rejected in early July 2015, and she did not apply for any other positions.
Hannah completed her five-year term with Appellee in March 2016.
D.
Hannah exhausted her administrative remedies and filed this lawsuit on August 12,
2016. She alleged that Appellee violated the Rehabilitation Act in five ways: (1) failing
to accommodate her mental illness; (2) creating a hostile work environment; (3) requiring
her to undergo a medical examination; (4) disclosing her confidential medical
information; and (5) refusing to hire her for the Cyber position. Additionally, Hannah
alleged that Appellee violated the FMLA in two ways: (1) by interfering with her ability
to take medical leave; and (2) by retaliating against her when she took medical leave.
After the close of discovery, Appellee moved for summary judgment on all counts. The
district court granted that motion on July 27, 2017. Hannah filed this timely notice of
appeal challenging the district court’s decisions on all but the hostile work environment
claim.
II.
We review a district court’s decision to grant summary judgment de novo. See
Vannoy v. Fed. Reserve Bank of Richmond, 827 F.3d 296, 300 (4th Cir. 2016). In doing
so, this court applies the same standard as the district court. See id. That standard
requires the court to grant summary judgment where “there is no genuine dispute as to
any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ.
P. 56(a); see also Vannoy, 827 F.3d at 300. We construe the evidence in the light most
10
favorable to Hannah, the nonmovant, and we draw all reasonable inferences in her favor.
See Vannoy, 827 F.3d at 300.
III.
Hannah asserts that Appellee violated the Rehabilitation Act by failing to
accommodate her depression, wrongfully requiring her to undergo a medical
examination, unlawfully disclosing her confidential medical information, and refusing to
hire her for the Cyber position. Additionally, Hannah asserts that Appellee interfered
with and retaliated against her for using leave under the FMLA. We will address each of
these claims in turn.
A.
Rehabilitation Act Claims
The Rehabilitation Act prohibits federal agencies from discriminating against its
employees on the basis of disability. See 29 U.S.C. § 794. For the reasons explained
below, Hannah failed to satisfy her burden on each of her claims under the Rehabilitation
Act. Specifically, Hannah failed to: (1) demonstrate that Appellee failed to accommodate
her depression; (2) demonstrate that Appellee’s EAP amounted to a required medical
examination; (3) demonstrate that Appellee disclosed or misused confidential medical
information; and (4) rebut Appellee’s legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for rejecting
her application for a permanent position.
11
1.
Reasonable Accommodation
Turning first to Hannah’s claim that Appellee failed to accommodate her
depression, the district court correctly concluded that Hannah did not establish a prima
facie case because Hannah failed to demonstrate that Appellee refused to make a
reasonable accommodation.
To establish a prima facie claim of failure to accommodate under the
Rehabilitation Act, a plaintiff must demonstrate that (1) she was a qualified person with a
disability; (2) the employer had notice of the disability; (3) the plaintiff could perform the
essential functions of the position with a reasonable accommodation; and (4) the
employer nonetheless refused to make the accommodation. See Reyazuddin v.
Montgomery Cty., 789 F.3d 407, 414 (4th Cir. 2015). The district court concluded that
Hannah could not establish the fourth element -- specifically, the district court
determined that Appellee provided Hannah with at least two reasonable accommodations.
And, on appeal, the parties dispute only the fourth element.
Here, as detailed above, Appellee provided Hannah with a reasonable
accommodation. When Hannah failed to follow that plan, Hannah’s supervisors
attempted a new accommodation -- referring Hannah to EAP. Yet, despite Hannah’s
participation in EAP, her attendance problems persisted.
Hannah argues that Appellee’s accommodations were not reasonable for two
reasons. First, she claims that the accommodation was improperly rescinded when her
supervisors concluded that the first plan was not working. Hannah asserts that the
12
Rehabilitation Act requires a collaborative process. Hannah argues that rather than
collaborating with her to identify a workable accommodation, Appellee unilaterally
decided that the first plan was not working, then unilaterally decided that Hannah should
participate in EAP counseling instead. Although employers have a duty to engage with
their employees in an “interactive process to identify a reasonable accommodation,”
Wilson v. Dollar Gen. Corp., 717 F.3d 337, 346 (4th Cir. 2013), the employer “has the
ultimate discretion to choose between effective accommodations.” Reyazuddin, 789 F.3d
at 415–16 (citing Hankins v. Gap, Inc., 84 F.3d 797, 800 (6th Cir. 1996)). Nonetheless,
even under Hannah’s view of the record, Appellee did, in fact, collaborate with Hannah
in establishing the first accommodation and only acted unilaterally when that
accommodation did not work.
Second, Hannah claims that a reasonable accommodation that she requested -- a
leave of absence -- was improperly delayed. Hannah posits that she “suffered immense
emotional stress during this one month lapse of [Appellee’s] compliance with the law.”
Appellant’s Br. 37. This argument is without merit and is not supported by the record,
even when viewed in the light most favorable to Hannah. Hannah first requested the
leave of absence on April 9, 2015. Then, on April 13 -- just two business days later --
Hannah withdrew her request without explanation, telling her supervisor that her leave
request was “on hold.” J.A. 170, 178. Hannah then renewed her request for leave on
April 21, and her request was approved on May 5. Thus, there was no “one month
lapse,” since Hannah’s request was “on hold” for nine days of that time.
13
During the remaining gap between Hannah’s request for leave and Appellee’s
approval of that request, Appellee referred Hannah to its counseling service. The
Rehabilitation Act does not require an employer to provide the exact accommodation that
an employee requests. See Reyazuddin, 789 F.3d at 415 (“An employer may reasonably
accommodate an employee without providing the exact accommodation that the
employee requested.”). Further, the record demonstrates that Hannah’s supervisors were
actively considering her request for leave during that time, and they did ultimately
approve it less than a month after she first requested leave.
For these reasons, granting summary judgment to Appellee on Hannah’s
reasonable accommodation claim was proper.
2.
Required Medical Examination
Under the Rehabilitation Act, an employer “shall not require a medical
examination and shall not make inquiries of an employee as to whether such employee is
an individual with a disability or as to the nature or severity of the disability, unless such
examination or inquiry is shown to be job-related and consistent with business necessity.”
42 U.S.C. § 12112(d)(4)(A).
14
a.
Examination of a Job Applicant
As an initial matter, Hannah’s arguments related to pre-employment medical
examinations under the Rehabilitation Act 4 miss the mark because Hannah was a current
employee, not a job applicant. Although Appellee knew Hannah was considering
applying for permanent positions with Appellee at the time she was referred to EAP, she
had not yet done so. The evidence is clear that Appellee referred Hannah to EAP in lieu
of disciplining her for her attendance issues in her then-current position, rather than as a
pre-employment medical examination. Moreover, the fact that Hannah’s attendance
issues may have been related to her stress and frustration surrounding obtaining
permanent employment with Appellee does not transform her EAP referral into a pre-
employment medical examination.
b.
Examination of a Current Employee
Further, Hannah failed to demonstrate, much less create a genuine issue of
material fact, that EAP constituted a prohibited medical examination of a current
employee. We note that EAP’s policies make clear that EAP is intended to be used as a
voluntary counseling service, and not as a mandatory medical examination that would
4
Subject to certain exceptions, an employer “shall not conduct a medical
examination or make inquiries of a job applicant as to whether such applicant is an
individual with a disability or as to the nature or severity of such disability.” 42 U.S.C.
§ 12112(d)(2)(A).
15
violate the Rehabilitation Act. See J.A. 130 (“[U]tilizing EAP is always voluntary and
therefore the employee has the right to decline to attend treatment, even if management-
referred.”). Additionally, Hannah’s EAP counselor repeatedly stated that she did not
conduct a medical examination:
I did not conduct a medical examination of [Hannah], and I
did not conduct a mental health evaluation or diagnostic
assessment because a) [Hannah] informed me she was already
in treatment and b) . . . it is not in EAP’s purview to conduct a
medical evaluation. I did not administer any medical or
mental health tests or diagnostic assessment tools for the
same reason. I was [n]ot tasked to diagnose or provide a
second opinion; my role was to facilitate communication
between [Hannah] and Management to resolve the problem
presented in the Management Referral -- namely, improving
attendance and notifying management when not attending
work.
Id. at 188 (emphasis omitted).
However, even if EAP constituted a mandatory medical examination under the
facts of this case, summary judgment to Appellee was still appropriate on this claim
because Hannah’s referral to EAP was “job-related and consistent with business
necessity.” 42 U.S.C. § 12112(d)(4)(A). As we have stated, “whether a mental
examination was ‘job-related and consistent with business necessity’ is an objective
inquiry.” Pence v. Tenneco Auto. Operating Co., 169 F. App’x 808, 812 (4th Cir. 2006).
“We therefore do not resolve any dispute about what [Appellee’s] subjective motivations
were for having [Hannah] examined by the EAP.” Id. An employer’s request for a
medical examination is job-related and consistent with business necessity when: “(1) the
employee requests an accommodation; (2) the employee’s ability to perform the essential
16
functions of the job is impaired; or (3) the employee poses a direct threat to himself or
others.” Kroll v. White Lake Ambulance Auth., 763 F.3d 619, 623 (6th Cir. 2014).
Here, the evidence, even when viewed in the light most favorable to Hannah,
supports granting summary judgment because Appellee had a reasonable belief that
Hannah’s ability to perform the essential functions of her job was impaired by her
repeated issues with attendance and timely reporting. Hannah attempts to refute this by
asserting that her job performance was excellent, but job performance alone does not
create a genuine issue of material fact. Attendance was also an essential function of
Hannah’s job, one the record amply demonstrates she was unable to fulfill when Appellee
referred her to EAP. As we have stated:
In addition to possessing the skills necessary to perform the
job in question, an employee must be willing and able to
demonstrate these skills by coming to work on a regular basis.
Except in the unusual case where an employee can effectively
perform all work-related duties at home, an employee “who
does not come to work cannot perform any of his job
functions, essential or otherwise.” Therefore, a regular and
reliable level of attendance is a necessary element of most
jobs.
Tyndall v. Nat’l Educ. Ctrs., Inc. of Cal., 31 F.3d 209, 213 (4th Cir. 1994) (quoting
Wimbley v. Bolger, 642 F. Supp. 481, 485 (W.D. Tenn. 1986), aff’d, 831 F.2d 298 (6th
Cir. 1987)) (emphasis in original); see also Denman v. Davey Tree Expert Co., 266 F.
App’x 377, 380 (6th Cir. 2007) (“Job performance is separate from the ability to show up
for work, an essential function of [Hannah’s] position.”).
17
Accordingly, Appellee did not violate the Rehabilitation Act by referring Hannah
to EAP, and the district court properly granted summary judgment to Appellee on this
claim.
3.
Confidential Medical Information
Under the Rehabilitation Act, an employer may “conduct voluntary medical
examinations, including voluntary medical histories, which are part of an employee
health program” and may “make inquiries into the ability of an employee to perform job-
related functions.” 42 U.S.C. § 12112(d)(4)(B). Any “information obtained regarding
the medical condition or history of the applicant” -- that is, medical information -- must
be “collected and maintained on separate forms and in separate medical files and [must
be] treated as a confidential medical record.” Id. § 12112(d)(3)(B); see also id.
§ 12112(d)(4)(C).
Hannah alleges two separate Rehabilitation Act violations regarding her medical
information: first, that Hannah’s supervisors wrongfully sought and disclosed
confidential medical information elicited from Hannah, and second, that the EAP
psychologist wrongfully disclosed confidential medical information gathered from the
EAP session to Hannah’s supervisors. In both instances, the district court correctly
determined that Hannah failed to demonstrate that Appellee violated the Rehabilitation
Act.
18
a.
Disclosures by Supervisors
Hannah asserts that her supervisors disclosed her confidential medical information
by writing in her EAP referral memo, “[e]arly in her tenure . . . and reaffirmed recently,
[Hannah] informed us that she was meeting with a psychiatrist and counselor and taking
medication for depression.” J.A. 413. Notably, Hannah voluntarily disclosed her
depression diagnosis to her supervisors. The Rehabilitation Act does not protect
information shared voluntarily. See Reynolds v. Am. Nat’l Red Cross, 701 F.3d 143, 155
(4th Cir. 2012) (finding the district court properly granted summary judgment on a
confidentiality claim brought under the Rehabilitation Act because the record “clearly
show[ed]” that the appellant “disclosed his medical condition voluntarily”). Indeed,
Hannah voluntarily told at least four of her supervisors that she had been diagnosed with
depression. See J.A. 179 (Hannah’s interrogatory responses) (“I disclosed my diagnosis
of depression to my supervisors Kelly G. in summer 2011, Ann W. in fall 2014; Art Z. in
March 2015, and Roy P. in March 2015.”).
Hannah argues that these disclosures were not voluntary because they were made
in response to inquiries about her disability. But the evidence does not support or create
a genuine issue of fact about that argument. The record indicates that only the March
2015 disclosure was made in response to an inquiry, and that inquiry was not medical -- it
was about her attendance. See J.A. 23 (Hannah’s deposition testimony) (“[H]e was
concerned about unpredictability in my schedule. . . . I told him at that time I had
depression.”).
19
Hannah asserts that this inquiry about her attendance was de facto an inquiry into
her depression because (according to Hannah) the inquiring supervisor knew she was
depressed and knew her attendance issues were linked to her depression. Hannah cites
only out-of-circuit cases for the proposition that asking a question “likely to elicit”
information about a disability amounts to a medical inquiry. See Harrison v. Benchmark
Elecs. Huntsville, Inc., 593 F.3d 1206, 1216 (11th Cir. 2010) (concluding that whether an
inquiry following a failed drug test was likely to elicit information about a disability in
violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) 5 presented a question of fact
for a jury to resolve); Fleming v. State Univ. of N.Y., 502 F. Supp. 2d 324, 338 (E.D.N.Y.
2007) (concluding the plaintiff pled facts sufficient to state a claim for failure to
confidentially maintain medical information under the ADA where the plaintiff alleged
that his disclosure of his sickle cell anemia was not voluntary because his supervisor
called him while he was in the hospital and asked him why he was there).
First, the record does not support Hannah’s argument that the supervisor in
question knew about Hannah’s depression before she disclosed it to him. Hannah points
to the supervisor’s statement that when he spoke to Hannah on the phone before
confronting her about her attendance, “she didn’t sound well on the other end of the
phone.” J.A. 466. Hannah also points to her supervisor’s statement that Hannah’s
“demeanor [wa]s sad, very flat, and almost trance like.” Id. at 413. This is not enough to
5
“To the extent possible, we construe the ADA and Rehabilitation Act to impose
similar requirements.” Halpern v. Wake Forest Univ. Health Scis., 669 F.3d 454, 461
(4th Cir. 2012).
20
create a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the inquiring supervisor knew
Hannah had been medically diagnosed with clinical depression, or whether by asking
about her attendance, the supervisor was fishing for medical information about Hannah’s
illness.
Second, even if Hannah’s supervisor had an inkling that Hannah may have had
depression, this is not evidence that he knew asking about her repeated absences and
tardiness -- indisputably bad work behavior -- would elicit medical information related to
her depression. Indeed, Hannah’s absences could have been the result of a world of
other, nonmedical possibilities, such as transportation issues or oversleeping. Adopting
Hannah’s argument would require us to find that where an employer might know that a
particular bad work behavior is connected to a medical condition, the employer cannot
inquire into the behavior without running afoul of the ADA and Rehabilitation Act’s
prohibition on medical inquiries. We have held expressly the opposite: “[T]he ADA does
not require an employer to simply ignore an employee’s blatant and persistent
misconduct, even where that behavior is potentially tied to a medical condition.” Vannoy
v. Fed. Reserve Bank of Richmond, 827 F.3d 296, 305 (4th Cir. 2016) (citing Jones v. Am.
Postal Workers Union, 192 F.3d 417, 429 (4th Cir. 1999) (holding the ADA does not
“require an employer to ignore such egregious misconduct by one of its employees, even
if the misconduct was caused by the employee’s disability”)).
21
b.
Disclosures by EAP Psychologist
Hannah also argues that, in addition to her supervisors disclosing her depression
diagnosis internally, the EAP psychologist disclosed “additional, unique information
from what Hannah had already told her supervisors.” Appellant’s Br. 51. Specifically,
Hannah alleges that the EAP psychologist told her supervisor that Hannah was concerned
about Appellee’s records retention policies, and that Hannah’s “difficulties in getting to
work were the result of a lack of motivation, not related to depression.” J.A. 540.
Perhaps that is true. The record does indicate that the EAP psychologist shared
some information with Hannah’s supervisors and maybe it was unique information. See
J.A. 192 (EAP psychologist statement) (noting that the psychologist provided Hannah’s
supervisors updates regarding Hannah’s “EAP attendance” and “cooperation and
progress toward resolving the referral issues”). But there is no evidence that the EAP
psychologist shared medical information. To the contrary, the EAP psychologist insisted,
again and again, that she did not share any confidential medical information. See id. at
190 (noting that the psychologist, who is not a doctor, “did not disclose any confidential
medical information” to anyone). Of note, Hannah did not point to any evidence in the
record contradicting the psychologist’s assertions.
Therefore, the information shared by the EAP psychologist did not trigger the
Rehabilitation Act’s confidentiality protections because the record indicates that the EAP
psychologist shared only nonmedical information.
22
c.
Non-Reliance on Medical Information
Finally, even if either Hannah’s supervisors or the EAP psychologist disclosed
Hannah’s medical information, Appellee still did not violate the Rehabilitation Act
because Appellee did not rely on Hannah’s depression diagnosis or any other medical
information in deciding not to hire Hannah for the Cyber position. Rather, the record
overwhelmingly indicates that Appellee’s decision was based on Hannah’s attendance
issues. Accordingly, Hannah has not demonstrated that Appellee violated the
Rehabilitation Act by disclosing or misusing confidential medical information.
4.
Discrimination
Rehabilitation Act claims for discrimination are reviewed under the McDonnell
Douglas burden-shifting framework. See Laber v. Harvey, 438 F.3d 404, 430 (4th Cir.
2006) (citing McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 802 (1973)); Perry v.
Comput. Scis. Corp., 429 F. App’x 218, 219–20 (4th Cir. 2011). Under that framework,
Hannah has the initial burden of establishing a prima facie case of discrimination. See
Perry, 429 F. App’x at 220. To establish this prima facie case, Hannah must show that:
(1) she is disabled; (2) she was otherwise qualified for the position; and (3) she suffered
an adverse employment action solely on the basis of her disability. See id. (citing
Constantine v. Rectors & Visitors of George Mason Univ., 411 F.3d 474, 498 (4th Cir.
2005)).
23
If Hannah establishes a prima facie case, the burden shifts to Appellee to provide a
legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for its conduct. See Perry, 429 F. App’x at 220. If
Appellee provides such a reason, Hannah “bears the ultimate burden of persuasion” and
“must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the proffered reason was a pretext
for discrimination.” Id.a.
Establishing Pretext
Even assuming that Hannah established a prima facie case of discrimination
(which Appellee disputes), she cannot succeed on her claim that Appellee discriminated
against her by not hiring her for a permanent position because she did not sufficiently
rebut Appellee’s proffered reason for rejecting her application, as required under the final
step of the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework. See Perry, 429 F. App’x at
220.
Appellee presented evidence demonstrating that Hannah’s perpetual issues with
attendance, timeliness, and reporting absences to her superiors were the bases of its
decision not to hire her for the permanent position. Attempting to expose that
explanation as a ruse, Hannah pointed to a purported inconsistency between the sworn
statement that Mark Ewing provided during the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (“EEOC”) investigation of Hannah’s case and an email he sent more than a
24
year earlier. In the sworn statement, signed on April 26, 2016, 6 Ewing asserts he “had no
knowledge of [Hannah’s] disability.” J.A. 650. But in the email, sent on June 30, 2015,
Ewing references two memos that he received from Hannah’s supervisors, both of which
note Hannah’s depression. See id. at 413 (April 9, 2015 memo) (“Early in her tenure . . .
and reaffirmed recently, [Hannah] informed us that she was meeting with a psychiatrist
and counselor and taking medication for depression.”); id. at 606 (April 23, 2015 memo)
(“While . . . medical considerations (i.e., depression and/or ADD) do make this situation
worse, these factors are under her control based upon treatment plans with her
psychologist and psychiatric care providers.”). Underscoring the significance of this
inconsistency, Hannah argues, is the fact that Ewing did not provide the June 30, 2015
email to the EEOC. Hannah argues that the inconsistency, coupled with Ewing’s failure
to disclose the email evidencing the inconsistency, illustrates “clear pretext.” Appellant’s
Br. 27.
Despite Hannah’s arguments to the contrary, this apparent discrepancy does not
create a genuine issue of material fact that Appellee’s proffered reason for rejecting
Hannah’s application is pretextual. First, nothing in the record indicates that Ewing had
first-hand knowledge of Hannah’s disability. Although the memos mention that Hannah
self-reported that she had depression, the second memo also describes Hannah’s
depression as “under her control.” J.A. 606. Indeed, Ewing’s email suggests that he did
6
The excerpt of the statement that is included in the J.A. does not include the date.
This date comes from Hannah’s brief. See Appellant’s Br. 26.
25
not know that Hannah had an ongoing disability. See J.A. 635 (“I am informed that EAP
concluded that [Hannah] does not have a medical problem, rather she is a disciplinary
problem.”).
More significantly, Hannah’s asserted contradiction between Ewing’s EEOC
statements and his June 30, 2015 email do not create a genuine issue of material fact
about pretext because Ewing’s email and the memos written by Hannah’s supervisors
focus on Hannah’s attendance problems, not on her disability. See J.A. 413 (April 9,
2015 memo) (noting that “[Hannah’s] schedule has become increasingly erratic” and that
“frequent absences and late arrivals [have begun] to affect her assigned unit and
individual performance”); id. at 606 (April 23, 2015 memo) (describing Hannah’s history
of attendance issues and Appellee’s attempts to accommodate Hannah and noting that,
despite those attempts, “[Hannah’s] late attendance has continued”); id. at 635–36
(Ewing’s June 30, 2015 email) (detailing Hannah’s problem with “attendance at work,”
noting that Hannah’s “absences and late arrivals were affecting her assigned staff element
and her individual performance,” and concluding that Hannah’s “recent performance is
not consistent with a potentially good employee.”).
Accordingly, Hannah did not point to any genuine issue of material fact that
Appellee’s purported basis for not hiring her was merely a pretext for discriminating
against her on the basis of her depression.
26
b.
Appellee’s Nondiscriminatory Explanation
i.
Moreover, the record indicates that Appellee’s proffered explanation for not hiring
Hannah for the Cyber position is genuine, legitimate, and nondiscriminatory.
As the district court concluded, a continuous attendance issue is a legitimate
reason for withholding an employment benefit. See Tyndall, 31 F.3d at 213 (finding an
employee who cannot satisfy their employer’s attendance policy cannot be considered
“qualified” for the purposes of the ADA). Hannah might have been exceptionally
talented and substantively good at her job, but as noted above, “[i]n addition to
possessing the skills necessary to perform the job in question, an employee must be
willing and able to demonstrate these skills by coming to work on a regular basis.” Id.Hannah asserts that “serious questions of fact exist as to whether Hannah even had
‘significant attendance and reporting problems.’” Appellant’s Br. 28. But the record
evidences no less than 13 attendance issues that occurred in the 46 days between
Appellee’s first attempt to accommodate Hannah on March 19, 2015, and the revised
plan made on May 4, 2015. Compare J.A. 114, 174 (noting Appellee’s March 19, 2015
meeting with her supervisor and original accommodation asking her to arrive at work by
10 AM or report to a supervisor), with id. at 556 (indicating four unexcused absences and
27
nine late arrivals between March 19 and April 29 that Appellee failed to timely report). 7
In light of Hannah’s failure to arrive or call in before 10 AM 13 times in 46 days, there is
no genuine issue of material fact about Hannah’s significant attendance and reporting
problem.
ii.
Hannah also argues that because her disability was the cause of her attendance
issues, Appellee could not withhold an employment benefit from her on that basis. We
have no doubt that Hannah’s struggle with depression was the cause of her attendance
issues, and we are sympathetic to the toll this condition took on a highly talented
7
The record reflects the following late arrivals and absences for Hannah between
March 19, 2015, and May 4, 2015: (1) April 2: Hannah emailed at 11:02 AM indicating
she would arrive to work by 12 PM; (2) April 8: Hannah emailed at 11:05 AM indicating
she would arrive to work by 12 PM; Hannah emailed again at 1:55 PM indicating she
would not be coming in that day; (3) April 9: Hannah emailed at 11:11 AM indicating her
car was towed and she would arrive at work by 1 PM; (4) April 13: Hannah emailed at
10:58 AM indicating she would arrive at work by 11:30 AM; (5) April 14: Hannah
emailed at 11:08 AM indicating she would arrive at work by 12 PM; (6) April 16:
Hannah’s supervisor emailed Hannah at 10:18 AM looking for her; when Hannah was
reached at 11 AM, she indicated she would arrive to work by 12 PM; (7) April 20:
Hannah emailed at 10:45 AM indicating she would arrive to work by 11:30 AM;
Hannah’s supervisor confirmed her arrival at 12:50 PM; (8) April 22: Hannah emailed at
11:01 AM indicating she would arrive at work after 12 PM; Hannah emailed again at
12:41 PM indicating she would arrive at 1 PM due to traffic; (9) April 23: Hannah
emailed at 10:59 AM indicating she would arrive at work by 12 PM; Hannah emailed
again at 12:56 PM indicating she would not be coming in that day due to a migraine; (10)
April 24: Hannah emailed at 11:02 AM indicating she would arrive at work in the
afternoon; Hannah later called at 3:24 PM indicating she would not be coming in that
day; (11) April 27: Hannah’s supervisor emailed indicating Hannah arrived at work by 11
AM; (12) April 28: Hannah emailed at 10:52 AM indicating she would arrive at work by
11:30 AM; (13) April 29: Hannah emailed at 11:49 AM indicating she would not come in
to work that day. See J.A. 556.
28
employee. However, Appellee was nevertheless permitted to take Hannah’s attendance
issues into account in its decision whether to hire her for the Cyber position. To reiterate,
the Rehabilitation Act “does not require an employer to simply ignore an employee’s
blatant and persistent misconduct, even where that behavior is potentially tied to a
medical condition.” Vannoy, 827 F.3d at 305; cf. Martinson v. Kinney Shoe Corp., 104
F.3d 683, 686 n.3 (4th Cir. 1997) (“Misconduct -- even misconduct related to a disability
-- is not itself a disability, and an employer is free to fire an employee on that basis.”).
iii.
Finally, Hannah argues that by the time Appellee made the decision not to hire
her, her attendance had improved. She asserts that between returning from her leave of
absence on June 1, 2015, and learning that she was not selected for the permanent
position on June 17, 2015, she “had shown she was able to perform the essential
functions of the job and had no current attendance issues.” Appellant’s Br. 32.
Hannah is correct that in a failure to hire case, the relevant inquiry is the
candidate’s performance “at the time of the employment decision or in the immediate
future.” Lamb v. Qualex, Inc., 33 F. App’x 49, 57 (4th Cir. 2002). However, Appellee
was not required to consider the two weeks before the decision was made in a vacuum.
Moreover, it is not the job of this court to decide whether Appellee made the right choice
by not hiring Hannah for the Cyber position. Rather, our job is simply to decide whether
Appellee made an illegal choice. See Feldman v. Law Enf’t Assocs. Corp., 752 F.3d 339,
350 (4th Cir. 2014) (explaining that we do not “sit as a kind of super-personnel
department weighing the prudence of employment decisions”).
29
Because Hannah not did demonstrate that Appellee’s purported basis for not hiring
her was merely a pretext for discriminating against her on the basis of her depression, and
because Hannah’s attendance problem was a legitimate and nondiscriminatory reason to
not hire her, we conclude that summary judgment was appropriate on her Rehabilitation
Act discrimination claim.
B.
FMLA Claims
The FMLA gives employees with qualifying medical conditions the right to take
up to 12 weeks of leave during a 12-month period “[b]ecause of a serious health
condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of” her job. 29
U.S.C. § 2612(a)(1)(D). “The employee has an accompanying right to return to the same
or an equivalent position at the conclusion of the leave period.” Reed v. Buckeye Fire
Equip., 241 F. App’x 917, 923 (4th Cir. 2007) (citing 29 U.S.C. § 2614(a)(1)).
As discussed below, as to Hannah’s FMLA interference claim, Hannah illustrates
a genuine issue of material fact regarding the notice of her depression and her desire to
take a leave of absence. But, for the same reasons Hannah’s Rehabilitation Act
discrimination claim fails, Hannah’s FMLA retaliation claim fails as well.
1.
Interference
a.
The district court incorrectly concluded that Hannah’s disclosure of her depression
was not sufficient to put Appellee on notice that Hannah could have qualified for FMLA
30
protections. Accordingly, summary judgment was not warranted as to Hannah’s FMLA
interference claim.
“An employee is mandated to provide notice to her employer when she requires
FMLA leave.” Brushwood v. Wachovia Bank, N.A., 520 F. App’x 154, 157 (4th Cir.
2013) (quoting Rhoads v. FDIC, 257 F.3d 373, 382 (4th Cir. 2001)). That said, an
employee need not specifically invoke the FMLA to benefit from its protections. See
Dotson v. Pfizer, Inc., 558 F.3d 284, 295 (4th Cir. 2009). Proper notice does not require
“any magic words.” Id. Indeed, “[w]hen an employee seeks leave for the first time for
a[n] FMLA-qualifying reason, the employee need not expressly assert rights under the
FMLA or even mention the FMLA.” 29 C.F.R. § 825.302. Proper notice merely “makes
the employer aware” that the employee needs potentially FMLA-qualifying leave.
Brushwood, 520 F. App’x at 157. And once the employer is on notice of the employee’s
need to take potentially FMLA-qualifying leave, “the responsibility falls on the employer
to inquire further about whether the employee is seeking FMLA leave.” Dotson, 558
F.3d at 295.
A reasonable jury could find that Hannah’s disclosure of her depression and her
April 9, 2015 request for psychiatrist-recommended leave was sufficient to trigger
Appellee’s responsibility to inquire further about whether Hannah was seeking FMLA
leave. We have held that disclosure of a potentially FMLA-qualifying circumstance and
an inquiry into leave options is sufficient to create a material question of fact regarding
whether an employee triggered her employer’s FMLA obligations. See Dotson, 558 F.3d
at 291, 295 (finding that an employee informing his employer that he was adopting a
31
child and speaking to a human resources representative about “taking leave during the
adoption process” was sufficient to create a question of fact as to whether the employer’s
FMLA-inquiry duties had been triggered).
b.
Here, Hannah informed her supervisors of her depression on multiple occasions.
See, e.g., J.A. 413 (April 9, 2015 memo from Hannah’s supervisors) (“Early in her tenure
. . . and reaffirmed recently, [Hannah] informed us that she was meeting with a
psychiatrist and counselor and taking medication for depression.”). 8 And on April 9,
2015, Hannah explained to her supervisors that her psychiatrist recommended that she
take four weeks of medical leave. Hannah’s disclosures about her depression and her
psychiatrist’s recommendation could lead a reasonable jury to find that Appellee was on
notice that Hannah was inquiring about potentially FMLA-qualifying leave, triggering
Appellee’s responsibility to inquire further about whether Hannah was seeking FMLA
leave. 9
c.
Appellee argues that Hannah’s interference claim fails because Hannah cannot
demonstrate that her depression was “a serious health condition.” Appellee’s Resp. 40–
41; see also 29 U.S.C. § 2612(a)(1)(D). But that argument is premature. Appellee has
8
Indeed, Hannah’s supervisors had “grown increasingly alarmed at the overall
change in [Hannah’s] demeanor.” J.A. 413.
9
It is undisputed that Appellee did not inquire about whether the leave should be
classified as FMLA-protected.
32
not shown that it made any inquiry into whether Hannah’s depression was an FMLA-
qualifying serious health condition. Appellee’s argument “would allow it to use its own
failure to determine whether leave should be designated as FMLA-protected to block
liability.” Dotson, 558 F.3d at 295. We have refused “to allow an employer to take
advantage of its own lapse in such a way.” Id.d.
Additionally, Appellee’s failure to provide notice of the availability of FMLA
leave prejudiced Hannah because if she had been aware of the availability of FMLA
leave, she could have structured her leave differently. The FMLA “provides no relief
unless the employee has been prejudiced by the violation.” Vannoy, 827 F.3d at 302
(citing Ragsdale v. Wolverine World Wide, Inc., 535 U.S. 81, 89 (2002)). “Prejudice may
be gleaned from evidence that had the plaintiff received the required (but omitted)
information regarding his FMLA rights, he would have structured his leave differently.”
Id.Here, the record contains evidence that if Hannah had known that the FMLA
protected her position, she would have used only sick leave for her leave of absence. See
J.A. 664 (Hannah’s declaration) (“Had I known I could have chosen to take sick leave for
the entire period, I would have elected to do so.”). Instead, she used a combination of
sick leave and annual time to take four weeks off. According to Hannah, “[u]nlike
annual leave, sick leave is not paid out at the end of an employee’s service, resulting in a
loss of a benefit worth at least $20,000.” Id. Based on Hannah’s testimony, a jury could
33
find that Hannah was prejudiced by Appellee’s failure to inquire into the availability of
FMLA leave and thus interfered with her FMLA rights.
For these reasons, Hannah has demonstrated a genuine issue of material fact that
should have precluded summary judgment on her FMLA interference claim.
2.
Retaliation
As for Hannah’s FMLA retaliation claim, however, the district court correctly
concluded that like her discrimination claim brought pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act,
Hannah did not sufficiently rebut Appellee’s legitimate, nonretaliatory reason for not
hiring Hannah for the Cyber position.
The FMLA prohibits employers from discriminating against an employee for
exercising her FMLA rights. See 29 U.S.C. § 2615(a)(2). As relevant here, “employers
cannot use the taking of FMLA leave as a negative factor in employment actions.” 29
C.F.R. § 825.220(c). Courts analyze FMLA retaliation claims, like discrimination claims
brought pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act, under the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting
framework. See Laing v. Fed. Express Corp., 703 F.3d 713, 717 (4th Cir. 2013). To
establish a prima facie case of FMLA retaliation, a plaintiff must demonstrate that “(1)
she engaged in a protected activity; (2) her employer took an adverse employment action
against her; and (3) there was a causal link between the two events.” Adams v. Anne
Arundel Cty. Pub. Schs., 789 F.3d 422, 429 (4th Cir. 2015) (internal quotation marks
omitted). If the plaintiff establishes a prima facie case, the burden shifts to the defendant
to provide a legitimate, nonretaliatory reason for taking the employment action at issue.
34
Id. If the defendant does so, the burden shifts back to the plaintiff to demonstrate that the
defendant’s proffered reason is pretextual. Id.Even assuming Hannah demonstrated a prima facie case of FMLA retaliation,
summary judgment was proper because she failed to rebut Appellee’s legitimate,
nonretaliatory reason for not hiring her for the Cyber position. Appellee asserts that it
relied on Hannah’s attendance issues in deciding not to hire her for the position, and the
evidence in the record supports that assertion. See J.A. 635–36 (Ewing’s June 30, 2015
email expressing concerns about Hannah’s application for the Cyber position) (noting,
“despite some apparently solid performance while on the Snowden project,” Appellee
had “a consistent history of issues with [Hannah] over many months” regarding Hannah’s
“attendance at work and attitude”); id. at 219 (Ewing’s deposition testimony) (“The
primary reason that I was concerned [about Hannah’s application] was the fact that her
conduct was extremely negative at the point of time we were making a hiring decision for
permanent employment status.”). Hannah points to no evidence that adequately
undermines Appellee’s proffered nonretaliatory reason for not hiring her. 10
Accordingly, the district court properly granted summary judgment on Hannah’s
FMLA retaliation claim.
10
Hannah again argues, as she did in the context of her claim of discrimination
under the Rehabilitation Act, that the “inconsistency” between the sworn statement
Ewing provided during the EEOC investigation of Hannah’s case and an email he sent
more than a year earlier exposes Appellee’s proffered reason for not hiring her for the
permanent position as pretextual. For the same reasons explained above, that argument
fails.
35
IV.
For these reasons, we affirm the judgment of the district court as to Hannah’s
Rehabilitation Act claims and FMLA retaliation claim. We vacate the grant of summary
judgment as to Hannah’s FMLA interference claim because there is a genuine issue of
fact as to whether Hannah’s disclosure of her depression was sufficient to put Appellee
on notice that Hannah could have qualified for FMLA protections. Accordingly, we
remand for further proceedings as to that claim.
AFFIRMED IN PART, VACATED IN PART, AND REMANDED
36
GREGORY, Chief Judge, concurring in part and dissenting in part:
Hannah P. was undisputedly an excellent intelligence officer. The Office of the
Director of National Intelligence (“ODNI”) entrusted her with the high-stress, high-
profile Edward Snowden case. She worked tirelessly and impeccably on that assignment,
and ODNI praised her performance. For the duration of that assignment, Hannah kept
nonconventional work hours with the knowledge and consent of her supervisors, and her
attendance was not considered a problem.
It was only after the Snowden project ended, and Hannah’s depression worsened,
that her supervisors found fault with her work hours, though she remained formally on a
flexible schedule. When Hannah requested an accommodation for her depression—a
leave of absence recommended by both of her medical professionals—Hannah’s
supervisors refused to timely grant the request. This was despite the fact that her
supervisors had offered to grant her leave just a few months earlier—before her
depression was triggered.
The result of this was tragic. Hannah was denied a permanent position for which
it is undisputed that she was exceptionally qualified and for which the interview panel
unanimously selected her. ODNI concedes that Hannah’s depression qualifies as a
disability protected by the Rehabilitation Act. Yet, the employer denied Hannah, a
dedicated and valuable employee, the protection that the law requires.
The majority mistakenly fails to see the force of Hannah’s claims. Though the
majority cites repeatedly to our decision in Vannoy v. Federal Reserve Bank of
Richmond, it fails to grapple with the stark distinctions between the “blatant and
37
persistent misconduct” by the employee in that case and Hannah’s cooperative attempts
to satisfy her supervisors’ expectations, despite the increasingly severe symptoms of her
disability. 827 F.3d 296, 300 (4th Cir. 2016).
While I concur in Parts III.A.2.a, III.A.3, and III.B.1 of the Court’s opinion, I
cannot agree that no genuine issue of material fact exists with respect to Hannah’s claims
that ODNI violated the Rehabilitation Act and Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”)
when it discriminated against her on the basis of her disability, failed to reasonably
accommodate her depression, wrongfully required a medical examination of her as a
current employee, and chose not to hire her for permanent employment in retaliation for
her FMLA-qualifying leave. I believe that several disputes of fact exist and that Hannah
is entitled to her day in court. Therefore, I respectfully dissent with respect to those
claims.
I.
Hannah’s supervisors were informed early in her employment that she suffered
from depression. She was under the treatment of a psychiatrist and a licensed clinical
social worker and did not initially request any work accommodations because she “was
adequately handling [her] depression at the time with medication and counseling.” J.A.
19–20.
Despite her depression, Hannah excelled at her job. In her position as the
disclosures coordinator for the Edward Snowden project, her “leadership, poise, and
performance were impeccable.” J.A. 412. She was described by her supervisors as “an
38
outstanding employee combining energy/drive, technical competence, superb
communication and networking skills, and superior analytic tradecraft.” Id. In short,
Hannah was considered “an invaluable intelligence officer and a future [Intelligence
Community] leader.” Id.The high-profile Snowden project required long work hours, and Hannah was not
required to maintain an established “core” hours schedule. Instead, she worked a “maxi
flex” schedule, which permitted her to vary her schedule so long as she put in 80 hours of
work in each two-week period. J.A. 492–93. She often came in later than other ODNI
employees (around noon), but stayed later as well. J.A. 494.
In November or December 2014, as the Snowden project was coming to a close,
Hannah’s supervisors encouraged her to take leave, a common practice for ODNI
employees “after finishing a burn-out job.” J.A. 173. Hannah did not take her
supervisors up on the offer, however, not only because she was interviewing for
permanent employment, but also because “there was still ambiguity over whether the
[Snowden] disclosures responsibilities had truly finished.” Id.During this time, Hannah’s depression became more serious. She had trouble
arriving at work before noon and had unscheduled absences. Hannah remained on a maxi
flex schedule, however, and it was not until March 19, 2015, that she was informed that
her attendance and arrival time were problematic. J.A. 461, 495. In fact, her first-line
supervisor had no concerns about her attendance or work hours in early 2015 and asked
Hannah to fill in as acting chief of their division while he was out of the office in late
February. J.A. 494–95, 498.
39
When Hannah’s supervisor spoke with her about her work hours on March 19,
2015, Hannah was not told that she was required to return to a “core” schedule. Rather,
Hannah and her first-line supervisor agreed that Hannah would either arrive at work by
10:00 a.m. or contact her supervisors if she was unable to arrive by that time; if she
neither arrived at work nor contacted the office by 11:00 a.m., her supervisor would reach
out to her by phone. J.A. 114. Hannah’s second-line supervisor had no objection to the
arrangement; he “wanted to see what would happen.” J.A. 345.
The day after making this arrangement, Hannah did not report for work by 10:00
a.m. When she did not arrive by 11:00 a.m., her supervisors did not call her. Instead, she
emailed them at 11:05 a.m., advising she would be in around 12:30 p.m. J.A. 118.
After that work day, Hannah began a pre-scheduled week-long leave during which
she was preoccupied with home renovations. J.A. 114. At the end of the week, she
emailed her supervisors to inform them she would not be in Monday, the next business
day, because of the renovations. J.A. 120. On Tuesday, Hannah emailed her supervisors
notifying them that she would not be in that day either. J.A. 122.
On Wednesday, when Hannah did not come in by 10:00 a.m., Hannah’s second-
line supervisor called her. J.A. 174. According to Hannah, her supervisor was “angry”
and demanded to know why Hannah had not arrived. Id. Hannah apologized, explained
she was having trouble getting out of bed, and indicated that she would be in as soon as
possible. Id. When she arrived at work, her supervisor told her that the arrangement they
had made “was not working.” J.A. 175. She was told that she was solely responsible for
contacting the office in the event she would be late or absent, and that her supervisors
40
would not be contacting her. J.A. 90. The arrangement had been in place for a total of
four days on which Hannah was scheduled to work.
Hannah asked that her supervisors “give the current accommodation more time to
work.” J.A. 175. Her supervisor, who was aware of Hannah’s depression, insisted that
Hannah propose an alternative plan “right then.” Id. She was ultimately given “a day or
two” to propose an alternative. Id.The next day, on April 2, 2015, Hannah emailed her supervisors at 11:02 a.m.,
notifying them that she would be in by noon. J.A. 124. That day, Hannah’s supervisors
met with ODNI’s Employee Management Relations Officer, the head of ODNI’s Equal
Employment Opportunity and Diversity Office, and the head of ODNI’s Human
Resources Division to discuss how to best address Hannah’s attendance and reporting.
J.A. 66, 128, 149. They collectively decided to refer Hannah to the Central Intelligence
Agency’s Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”). 1 J.A. 326–29. Although Hannah’s
supervisors were well aware of her depression, she was referred to the EAP to “help
identify what her challenges were and provide her any support she needed,” such as
“accommodation with work hours, . . . counseling or any other type of support.” J.A.
139–40.
1
Hannah was referred to the CIA’s EAP program because ODNI did not have one
of its own. The EAP provides employees with “free, confidential, short-term mental
health[,] financial, and addictions counseling and referral to cleared community
providers.” J.A. 132.
41
Hannah’s supervisors drafted a memorandum, which they dated April 9, 2015,
referring Hannah to the EAP. The memo outlined Hannah’s “impressive capabilities”
and her work with ODNI, commented on her recent attendance, and explained that
Hannah had disclosed to her supervisors that she was meeting with a psychiatrist and
counselor and taking medication for depression. J.A. 412–13. The memo also noted:
Hannah has indicated that she is struggling to get out of bed
in the morning and admits to feeling almost paralyzed. She
has also indicated that she had a recent change in medication
and that the upheaval in her living arrangements negatively
impacted some of her physical coping mechanisms.
J.A. 413. The memo explained that “as senior intelligence officials,” Hannah’s
supervisors “ha[d] a duty to identify and if possible help vulnerable employees.” J.A.
414.
Meanwhile, Hannah met with her psychiatrist and counselor. Both professionals
agreed that Hannah should take four weeks of leave. J.A. 175. Accordingly, Hannah met
with her supervisors on April 9, 2015 and requested a four-week leave of absence. J.A.
424, 449, 468. Her supervisors did not ask her for any medical documentation to support
the leave request because they expected to receive a “quick answer” from EAP. J.A. 95.
They also believed that Hannah’s medical providers did not have “the expertise to
provide” an opinion on “all of the items” that they were planning to submit to EPA. Id.Hannah’s supervisors denied her leave request; they had already determined
before meeting with Hannah that if Hannah asked for leave, they would “defer that
decision until after meeting with EAP.” J.A. 422. One of Hannah’s supervisors
explained in her deposition that she “wanted to get a sense [Hannah] was in a good
42
place.” J.A. 431. According to that supervisor, the “rationale” of the group that decided
to refer Hannah to EAP first was:
If this were . . . a bad behavior problem, there would
be no need to grant immediate leave.
If it were a medical mental health problem, the thought
was, granting leave and isolating [Hannah] from day-to-day
contact with her coworkers and her managers when we didn’t
know her state of mind and how much medical care she was
receiving could, potentially, be dangerous.
J.A. 422–23. Hannah’s second-line supervisor told her that the decision was made
because of concern that “since [Hannah] was a single woman if [she] took leave [she]
would be home by [herself] and that could make [her] depression worse.” J.A. 176. It
was made clear that Hannah was required to attend EAP counseling; if she refused, her
temporary position would be deemed “as excess” and she would lose her job
“immediately.” Id.Hannah’s first-line supervisor disagreed with the others’ proposed course of
action; he believed that the supervisors should not “substitute [their] judgment for
[Hannah’s] doctor’s.” J.A. 504. Nonetheless, Hannah signed the memo to EAP and
attended an appointment with an EAP counselor the next day, April 10, 2015.
On Monday, April 13, 2015, Hannah met again with one of her supervisors to
discuss her leave request. Her supervisor told her that her leave request was approved but
“was pushing” her to take only two weeks off, not the four she had requested. J.A. 524,
528. He explained that Hannah would have to submit to a medical evaluation if she
wished to take leave beyond the two weeks. J.A. 524. Hannah felt uncomfortable with
43
her supervisor’s pushiness and confused about the status of her leave request so she
responded that her request was “on hold.” Id. She wanted to figure out what the EAP
counselor had told her supervisor and to confirm her legal options. Id.Hannah continued to arrive at work later than 10:00 a.m. during April 2015.
During that month, Hannah also continued attending the EAP sessions. In those sessions,
Hannah testified, she was questioned about her medical history, her family’s medical
history, and the medication she was taking and its dosage. J.A. 531–32. In the third
session, Hannah was given a diagnostic questionnaire “to assess depression or severity of
those sorts of things.” J.A. 534.
On April 16, 2015, the EAP counselor had an extended forty-minute discussion
with Hannah’s second-line supervisor. During that discussion, the counselor disclosed
that Hannah’s “lack of motivation/inability to come to work” was primarily influenced by
feelings of frustration over not securing a permanent position at ODNI. J.A. 604. At
some point, the counselor also indicated that Hannah was not cooperating with the EAP
process because she was spending “more than half the session at times” expressing
concerns over the record retention policy. J.A. 192.
A week later, Hannah’s second-line supervisor circulated a status update via email
to ODNI leadership outlining the information shared by the EAP counselor. That
information included Hannah’s explained reasons for her inability to arrive punctually for
work, as well as Hannah’s concerns that the EAP process would “create a paper trail that
[would] adversely impact her future employment and career.” J.A. 606. The email also
44
indicated that the EAP counselor had identified “non-medical” factors as the primary
cause of Hannah’s attendance problems. J.A. 607.
On April 28, 2015, Hannah met with one of her supervisors and reiterated her
request for four weeks of leave. J.A. 41. She was told that her leave request would be
approved if she met with the EAP counselor once more on May 1, 2015 and signed a
Letter of Expectations. J.A. 42. Hannah attended the May 1 appointment and signed the
Letter of Expectations on May 4, 2015. J.A. 43. The Letter of Expectations provided
that, “[e]ffective immediately,” Hannah would begin work by 10:00 a.m. and would
contact her office no later than 9:30 a.m. in the event she would be late. J.A. 614.
Beginning on May 5, 2015, Hannah took a four-week leave of absence. She
returned to work on June 1, 2015 and was immediately tasked with leading a significant
study. J.A. 44–45. Her attendance problem “largely disappeared as Hannah responded to
the need for daily meetings all over the community.” J.A. 612.
On June 9, 2015, Hannah interviewed for a permanent position with ODNI—
Program Mission Manager Cyber (“Cyber”), a job she had applied for at the end of April
or beginning of May 2015. J.A. 620–21. She was unanimously selected by the interview
panel as the most qualified candidate for the position. J.A. 206, 625. A week later, the
interview panel forwarded its recommendation to ODNI’s Chief Management Officer,
Mark Ewing. J.A. 206–07. Ewing was already aware of the decision to refer Hannah to
the EAP and had been consulted in that decision-making process. J.A. 216. As Ewing
testified, the EAP referral was intended not only to address Hannah’s issues with the
45
temporary job she had at the time; Ewing’s “concern was her conduct in relationship to
being selected for a permanent government position.” J.A. 217, 585.
Hannah’s application for the Cyber position stalled for several weeks, despite the
fact that the approval process typically only took a few days. J.A. 443, 630. On June 25,
2015, members of the interview panel began questioning the holdup. J.A. 633. In
response, Ewing sent an email to the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence
(“PDDNI”) recommending that Hannah not be approved for the Cyber position based on
her recent attendance history. J.A. 635–36. Ewing also represented that the EAP
counselor had concluded that Hannah did not have a medical problem, “rather she is a
disciplinary problem.” J.A. 635.
The PDDNI shared that email with the Director of National Intelligence (“DNI”).
Neither the PDDNI nor the DNI approved Hannah for the permanent position. J.A. 722.
On July 7, 2015, Hannah was notified that she was not selected for the position. J.A.
638. Hannah completed her temporary term at ODNI on March 27, 2016 as a high
performer, yet did not secure a permanent position with the department.
II.
A.
I first take issue with the Court’s treatment of Hannah’s discrimination claim
under the Rehabilitation Act. The majority concludes that Hannah’s 13 “attendance
issues” between March 19, 2015 and May 4, 2015 constituted a “significant attendance
and reporting problem.” Maj. Op. at 27–28. Accordingly, the majority credits this
46
proffered legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for ODNI’s failure to hire Hannah for the
permanent Cyber position. 2 The majority also concludes that Hannah has failed to satisfy
her burden at this stage of presenting sufficient evidence that ODNI’s explanation for
rejecting her application is pretext for disability discrimination. Maj. Op. 24–26.
I disagree with the majority’s conclusions for several reasons. Fundamentally,
ODNI’s proffered reason for not hiring Hannah reflects a misunderstanding of Hannah’s
disability. Among the most typical symptoms of depression are a loss of interest in
nearly all activities, decreased energy, disturbed or irregular sleep, and an impaired
ability to function in one’s daily activities, including communicating with others. Jerry
Von Talge, Ph. D., Major Depressive Disorder—Essential Features, 26 Am.
Jurisprudence Proof of Facts 1, § 12 (3d ed. 1994); Spangler v. Fed. Home Loan Bank of
Des Moines, 278 F.3d 847, 853 (8th Cir. 2002) (“A jury could consider the difficulty one
suffering from depression has with communications . . . .”). “Even the smallest tasks
seem to require substantial effort.” VonTalge, Major Depressive Disorder—Essential
Features, 26 Am. Jurisprudence Proof of Facts 1, § 12. In Hannah’s case, although she
was taking medication to treat her depression, she was “unable to just get going.” J.A.
413. She was “lethargic or almost unconcerned.” Id. Her demeanor was “sad, very flat,
and almost trance like.” Id. Yet, Hannah came to work, and her job performance
remained “excellent.” J.A. 408.
2
ODNI does not dispute that Hannah’s depression qualifies as a disability under
the Rehabilitation Act.
47
In light of the nature of Hannah’s disability and the record evidence, I am baffled
by the majority’s conclusion that her conduct amounted to a “significant attendance and
reporting problem” as a matter of law. Maj. Op. at 28; see Vannoy v. Fed. Reserve Bank
of Richmond, 827 F.3d 296, 300 (4th Cir. 2016) (“Summary judgment is appropriate if
there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment
as a matter of law.” (internal citations and quotation marks omitted)). Hannah’s behavior
is far from the “blatant and persistent misconduct” that we have found to be lawful
grounds for adverse employment actions in this context. Vannoy, 827 F.3d at 305. In
Vannoy, for example, the employee, like Hannah, suffered from depression. Id. at 299.
We found that Vannoy’s employer had a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason to
terminate his employment, despite his disability, when Vannoy had several unscheduled
absences from work; drove an employer vehicle for a three-day, out-of-state work
assignment and stayed at a hotel paid for by his employer, yet did not once report for
duty; refused to complete his portion of a performance improvement plan; and left work
without authorization. Id. at 299–300, 305. It was in that context that we explained that
the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) “does not require an employer to simply
ignore an employee’s blatant and persistent misconduct, even where that behavior is
potentially tied to a medical condition.” Id. at 305 (emphasis added); see also 29 U.S.C.
§ 791(f) (incorporating ADA employment standards into section 501 of the
Rehabilitation Act).
Unlike in Vannoy, the record here does not paint a picture of Hannah as an
insubordinate employee who refused to cooperate with her employer and blatantly
48
misused department resources. To the contrary, Hannah openly communicated with her
supervisors, even if she did so later in the day than they had expected. She informed her
supervisors of her depression and cooperated by attending the sessions with the EAP
counselor. During the 46-day period between the first accommodation and Hannah’s
written agreement to begin work at a specified time, she had four unscheduled absences
and came into work after 10:00 a.m. nine times. J.A. 556. On all but two occasions she
communicated her anticipated schedule to ODNI. And on one of those two occasions,
Hannah arrived by 11:00 a.m., the time after which her supervisors were to contact her.
Id. During this time she actively worked with her medical professionals to design an
alternative solution, and she requested, on more than one occasion, that ODNI grant the
recommended leave of absence. In fact, Hannah was absent only once and arrived after
10:00 a.m. only twice before her initial leave request was denied. See id. Had her
supervisors granted her leave of absence on April 9 when she first requested it, many of
her attendance issues would have been avoided. A jury could reasonably conclude that
Hannah’s late arrivals to work continued only because her depression was not effectively
accommodated. See J.A. 175 (both medical professionals recommended four-week
leave); J.A. 612 (noting Hannah’s attendance problem “largely disappeared” upon her
return from leave). On this record, I find unfounded the characterization of Hannah’s
conduct as blatant and persistent as a matter of law.
Furthermore, Hannah has sufficiently shown that ODNI’s proffered reason for not
hiring her—her attendance problems—may be pretext for disability discrimination. At
the summary judgment stage, Hannah need not conclusively prove discrimination. But
49
she must proffer sufficient evidence from which a reasonable jury could conclude that
she was in fact the victim of intentional discrimination by ODNI. Reyazuddin v.
Montgomery Cty., Md., 789 F.3d 407, 419 (4th Cir. 2015). I would find that she has met
this burden for two reasons.
First, as Hannah argues, questions of fact exist as to whether her attendance was a
serious problem, or whether her attendance even violated any work-hours policy. The
record suggests that it was not until May 4, 2015 that Hannah was given a formal time by
which to arrive at work. See, e.g., J.A. 108 (“[D]ifferent people had different schedules
. . . .”); id. (explaining that while most employees arrived at work around 9:00 a.m., there
was no “explicit” requirement to do so); J.A. 518 (denying that a “core hours
expectation” existed before September or October 2015). Although her supervisors told
her on March 19, 2015 that she was to report by 10:00 a.m., they also initially agreed to
contact her if she did not report by 11:00 a.m. Had the 10:00 a.m. start time been deemed
a requirement, it would make little sense to have made any further arrangements. When
one of her supervisors attempted to unilaterally change that arrangement, he acceded to
Hannah’s request for time to propose an alternative. Hannah requested the doctor-
recommended leave of absence as an alternative, but she was never told that she was
required to work specific hours; she remained formally on a maxi flex schedule. It was
not until the Letter of Expectation on May 4, 2015 that a formal start time was imposed.
The department itself did not move to “core” hours until October 2015. J.A. 518.
Therefore, Hannah’s work schedule during the relevant time may have been “erratic,”
50
Maj. Op. 26, but a reasonable jury could conclude that it did not violate any established
work-hours requirement. 3
Second, I would find that Mark Ewing’s inconsistent statements regarding his
knowledge of Hannah’s disability, coupled with the above evidence, are sufficient
evidence of pretext to survive summary judgment. The majority emphasizes that Ewing
did not have first-hand knowledge of her condition and that he was informed that her
depression was under control. Maj. Op. 25. But depression is not like physical illnesses;
it does not simply dissipate overnight. Its symptoms may be under control one day yet
triggered the very next. See Sidney H. Kennedy, M.D., A Review of Antidepressant
Therapy in Primary Care: Current Practices and Future Directions, Primary Care
Companion for CNS Disorders, vol. 15(2), PCC.12r01420 (Apr. 11, 2013) (noting that
major depressive disorder, the disease with which Hannah was diagnosed, is “chronic and
episodic” in nature). Indeed, Hannah was able to control her symptoms for years while
working at ODNI. Ewing was consulted by Hannah’s supervisors in connection with
their decision to refer Hannah to EAP. J.A. 216. The EAP memo, a copy of which
Ewing possessed, explicitly stated: “[Hannah] informed us that she was meeting with a
psychiatrist and counselor and taking medication for depression.” J.A. 413. And the
3
Hannah’s supervisors testified that, because she arrived later than other
employees, they were forced to reassign work that would have fallen to her. There is
evidence that the work assignments were made around 9:00 or 9:30 a.m. J.A. 108–09.
Had Hannah’s supervisors truly been concerned about being able to assign her work, one
would expect the accommodation they offered to Hannah to have required her to come
into the office by 9:00. No such requirement was ever made of her.
51
memo implicitly made the connection between Hannah’s “struggling to get out of bed in
the morning” and recent upheavals in her life that “negatively impacted some of her
physical coping mechanisms.” Id. In fact, it noted that Hannah “appear[ed] to gain more
energy and become aware as the day progress[ed] into early evening.” Id. On this
evidence, a reasonable jury could determine that Ewing was aware that Hannah’s
depression affected her ability to get to work by 10:00 a.m. and required medical
intervention and that Ewing’s initial statement that he was unaware of her condition was
intended to cover up the true reason for his desire not to hire her: her disability.
In sum, because a reasonable jury could conclude on this record that Hannah’s
attendance issues were far from “blatant and persistent misconduct,” Vannoy, 827 F.3d at
305, and that ODNI’s proffered reason for failing to hire Hannah for the Cyber position
was pretext for discrimination on the basis of her disability, I would reverse the district
court’s grant of summary judgment on the discrimination claim.
B.
I also take issue with the Court’s conclusion that no question exists as to the
reasonableness of the accommodations made by ODNI. The reasonableness of an
accommodation depends “on a good-faith effort to assess the employee’s needs and to
respond to them.” Feliberty v. Kemper Corp., 98 F.3d 274, 280 (7th Cir. 1996).
Importantly, “a ‘reasonable accommodation’ is one that ‘effectively accommodates the
disabled employee’s limitations.’” Bellino v. Peters, 530 F.3d 543, 549 (7th Cir. 2008)
(emphasis added) (citation omitted). In identifying a reasonable accommodation,
employers are required to engage in an interactive process with the disabled employee.
52
See 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(o)(3); Jacobs v. N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts, 780
F.3d 562, 581 (4th Cir. 2015) (“The ADA imposes upon employers a good-faith duty ‘to
engage [with their employees] in an interactive process to identify a reasonable
accommodation.’” (quoting Wilson v. Dollar Gen. Corp., 717 F.3d 337, 346 (4th Cir.
2013))); Bellino, 530 F.3d at 548–50 (discussing ADA’s interactive-process requirement
in the context of claim brought under section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act). It is only if
an employer provides a reasonable accommodation that the employer’s failure to engage
in an interactive process will not sustain a failure-to-accommodate claim. Jacobs, 780
F.3d at 581.
The majority finds that ODNI provided Hannah with two accommodations: (1)
the March 19, 2015 agreement that Hannah would report for work by 10:00 a.m., and (2)
the referral to EAP. Maj. Op. 12. I submit that questions of fact exist with respect to
whether ODNI made a good-faith effort to respond to Hannah’s needs and whether either
of these accommodations was effective, i.e., whether the accommodations were
reasonable. And because a question of fact exists as to that issue, I agree with Hannah
that a question also exists as to whether her employer engaged in the required interactive
process.
Hannah argues that her supervisors’ initial commitment to contact her if she did
not contact them or arrive by 11:00 a.m. was the sine qua non of the first
accommodation. But Hannah’s supervisors allowed that accommodation to remain in
place for only four working days before unilaterally modifying it and, according to
Hannah, angrily pressuring her to propose an alternative accommodation on the spot.
53
When Hannah did propose an alternative—four weeks of leave, as recommended by both
of her treating medical professionals—her supervisors denied the request because they
had already decided that EAP counseling was more appropriate. Speculating that they
knew better than both of Hannah’s medical professionals, her supervisors believed that
her medical providers lacked “the expertise to provide” an opinion on “all of the items”
they wanted to submit to the EAP. J.A. 95. And while Hannah’s supervisors had
suggested that she take leave a few months earlier, prior to any signs that Hannah’s
disability would affect her ability to get into work in the morning, J.A. 173, they
threatened to terminate her employment if she did not first attend EAP sessions after she
requested medically recommended leave to cope with her depression, J.A. 176. On this
evidence, the question of whether the first accommodation and the decision to require
EAP counseling before granting medically recommended leave were made in good faith
and were effective to address Hannah’s disability should be submitted to the jury, as
reasonable minds could conclude that they were not.
Likewise, the reasonableness of ODNI’s delay in granting Hannah leave should be
decided by a jury. Concededly, the short duration of the delay (from April 9, 2015 to
May 4, 2015) undercuts Hannah’s argument of unreasonableness. See Terrell v. USAir,
132 F.3d 621, 628 (11th Cir. 1998) (finding that delay of three months in providing
accommodation was reasonable). However, Hannah’s attendance—and the manifestation
of her depression—was negatively impacted during the delay period; ODNI purposefully
54
delayed her leave while she attended required EAP sessions 4; ODNI would have
terminated Hannah’s temporary position if she failed to attend the EAP counseling 5; and
Mark Ewing intended to use the EAP sessions to gather information regarding Hannah’s
suitability for future employment. 6 Presented with this evidence, a reasonable jury could
conclude that the delay was the result of ODNI’s bad faith. Feliberty, 98 F.3d at 280.
Thus, I would reverse the grant of summary judgment on Hannah’s reasonable
accommodation claim.
C.
I would also reverse summary judgment on Hannah’s claim that she was subjected
to an unlawful medical examination as a current employee.
Under the Rehabilitation Act, “[a] covered entity shall not require a medical
examination and shall not make inquiries of an employee as to whether such employee is
an individual with a disability or as to the nature and severity of the disability, unless
such examination or inquiry is shown to be job-related and consistent with business
necessity.” 42 U.S.C. § 12112(d)(4)(A); 29 U.S.C. § 791(f).
4
See J.A. 422 (“The recommendation of the group was if Hannah were to ask for
leave, we should defer that decision until after meeting with EAP.”); J.A. 176 (“EAP was
concerned that since I was a single woman if I took leave I would be home by myself and
that could make my depression worse.”).
5
See J.A. 176 (Hannah’s statement that she was told she had “no choice” but to
attend the EAP sessions or her job would be terminated immediately).
6
See J.A. 584–85 (Mark Ewing’s deposition testimony that EAP referral “wasn’t
initially just about” Hannah’s temporary position but also because Ewing “knew she was
looking for permanent employment”).
55
First, a clear dispute exists as to whether the EAP sessions constituted a required
medical examination under the Rehabilitation Act. Despite the voluntary nature of EAP
counseling highlighted by the majority, Maj. Op. 15, two of Hannah’s supervisors
testified that the sessions were in fact “mandatory.” J.A. 448, 474. As Hannah
explained, she was told by her supervisor that she had “no choice” in the matter and that
if she did not participate in the EAP counseling, her temporary position with ODNI
would be declared “as excess” and she “would be out of a job immediately.” J.A. 176.
The majority emphasizes the EAP counselor’s testimony that she did not conduct a
medical examination. Yet, the Court’s opinion says nothing about Hannah’s testimony
regarding the substance of her sessions with the counselor. According to Hannah, she
was asked for a family medical history, questioned about her medication and dosage, and
even administered a diagnostic tool used to assess depression. J.A. 531–32, 534.
In light of this testimony, a reasonable jury could conclude that the EAP sessions
were in fact required and that the diagnostic tool constituted a “procedure or test that
seeks information about an individual’s physical or mental impairments or health.”
E.E.O.C., Enforcement Guidance: Disability–Related Inquiries and Medical
Examinations of Employees Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (EEOC
Notice 915.002) (July 27, 2000). Likewise, a jury could determine that the questions
asked during the sessions amounted to a “series of questions . . . likely to elicit
information about a disability” and the scope of Hannah’s disability. Id.; Grenier v.
Cyanamid Plastics, Inc., 70 F.3d 667, 677 (1st Cir. 1995). As Hannah’s supervisors
explained, the decision to refer her to EAP was to determine whether her attendance was
56
due to “a medical mental health problem.” J.A. 422. Their decision was predicated on a
concern that granting Hannah the doctor-recommended leave could “make [her]
depression worse” and could even “be dangerous.” J.A. 176, 422–23. After meeting
with Hannah, the EAP counselor even suggested that Hannah could have bipolar
disorder. J.A. 601–02. If faced with this evidence, a reasonable jury could easily find
that the EAP sessions were in fact required medical examinations or disability-related
inquiries.
With respect to the second prong of our inquiry—whether the EAP sessions were
job-related and consistent with business necessity—questions of fact also preclude
summary judgment. “[W]hether a mental examination was ‘job-related and consistent
with business necessity’ is an objective inquiry.” Pence v. Tenneco Auto. Operating Co.,
Inc., 169 F. App’x 808, 812 (4th Cir. 2006) (citing Tice v. Centre Area Transp. Auth.,
247 F.3d 506, 518 (3d Cir. 2001)). It is the employer who bears the burden of proving
this prong. Kroll v. White Lake Ambulance Auth., 763 F.3d 619, 623 (6th Cir. 2014). “A
business necessity must be based on more than ‘mere expediency,’ and will be found to
exist where the employer can ‘identify legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons to doubt
the employee’s capacity to perform his or her duties.’” Coursey v. Univ. of Md. E. Shore,
577 F. App’x 167, 173 (4th Cir. 2014) (citing Conroy v. N.Y. State Dep’t of Corr. Servs.,
333 F.3d 88, 97–98 (2d Cir. 2003); Thomas v. Corwin, 483 F.3d 516, 527 (8th Cir.
2007)). A business necessity may also exist if a medical examination is necessary to
determine “whether an employee’s absence or request for an absence is due to legitimate
57
medical reasons, when the employer has reason to suspect abuse of an attendance
policy.” Thomas, 483 F.3d at 527 (citing Conroy, 333 F.3d at 98).
I would find that ODNI is not entitled to summary judgment because a reasonable
jury could conclude that the employer lacked a “reasonable belief based on objective
evidence that [Hannah] was unable to perform the essential functions of her job or that
she posed a threat to herself or to others based on a medical condition.” Wright v. Ill.
Dep’t of Children and Family Servs., 798 F.3d 513, 524 (7th Cir. 2015); see also Kroll,
763 F.3d at 623 (“[T]he individual who decides to require a medical examination must
have a reasonable belief based on objective evidence that the employee’s behavior
threatens a vital function of the business.” (citing Pence, 69 F. App’x at 812) (other
citation omitted)). It is undisputed that Hannah’s supervisors, as well as Mark Ewing,
were involved in the decision to refer Hannah to the EAP. Therefore, the question is
whether those supervisors had objective evidence that Hannah was unable to perform an
essential function of her job. For the period including Hannah’s “egregious” attendance
issues, she received an overall performance rating of 4.53 out of 5.00—a rating of
“Excellent.” J.A. 406–10. Yet the majority concludes that her poor attendance precluded
her from performing an essential function of her job.
I submit that this conclusion cannot be reached as a matter of law on this record, a
record that seriously calls into question ODNI’s sincerity in its assertion that Hannah was
unable to perform an essential function of her job. For the entirety of Hannah’s time as
the disclosures coordinator on the Snowden project, she started work and left work later
than other ODNI employees. J.A. 25, 494. Although she came in later, she got the job
58
done, and she did it “impeccabl[y].” J.A. 412. She was able to manage her depression
and worked long hours in a stressful environment while excelling. J.A. 19–20, 412. Her
supervisors had no qualm with her attendance, and aside from the maxi flex schedule,
there was no formal work-hours requirement in place. J.A. 492–94, 518. When that
project winded down in late 2014 and early 2015, Hannah’s supervisors did not institute
“core” hours or otherwise formally remove Hannah from the maxi flex schedule. J.A.
461, 518. In light of Hannah’s ODNI-sanctioned history of beginning her work day later
than others (a practice which simply continued into April 2015), the apparent lack of any
formal policy requiring that her schedule be otherwise, and her consistent “excellent”
performance reviews, there is at the very least a question of fact regarding ODNI’s
“reasonable belief based on objective evidence that [Hannah] was unable to perform the
essential functions of her job.” Wright, 798 F.3d at 524.
This is not to say that the essential functions of Hannah’s job did not include
regular attendance. See Tyndall v. Nat’l Educ. Ctrs., Inc. of Cal., 31 F.3d 209, 213 (4th
Cir. 1994). However, as discussed above, a jury could reasonably conclude that ODNI
had no “reason to suspect abuse of an attendance policy,” Thomas, 483 F.3d at 527(citation omitted), when no such policy formally existed and when Hannah had been
allowed for over a year to begin work later than other department employees. And
although Hannah requested leave, her supervisors had decided before Hannah’s request
that they would defer a decision on any leave request until after the EAP referral because
they expected a “quick answer” from EAP. J.A. 95. But “mere expediency” is
insufficient to establish business necessity. Coursey, 577 F. App’x at 173.
59
In light of these considerations, I would submit the issue of whether the EAP
sessions were job-related and consistent with business necessity to the jury for resolution.
D.
Finally, I would reverse the district court’s grant of summary judgment on
Hannah’s FMLA retaliation claim. ODNI argues that Hannah cannot prove this claim
because her non-selection for the Cyber position was due to “her significant attendance
and reporting problems prior to her first leave request.” Resp. Br. 48. For largely the
same reasons that I would reverse with respect to Hannah’s discrimination-in-hiring
claim, I would find that there is sufficient evidence in the record to create a material issue
of fact for the jury to decide on this claim.
Hannah suffered from a disability, one that could effectively be accommodated
with leave. Unfortunately, her leave was granted only after she struggled to manage her
disability—a struggle which a reasonable jury could readily conclude did not violate any
attendance policy. Despite Hannah’s rebound upon her return, ODNI used her late
arrivals during the time for which she requested but was denied leave as grounds for
denying her a permanent position, a position for which it is undisputed that she was
exceptionally qualified. J.A. 623–25, 635–36. In essence, ODNI assigned Hannah to a
high-stress position after which her depression worsened; delayed her request for FMLA-
qualifying leave to accommodate her depression, thereby intensifying her symptoms;
then refused to hire her for a permanent role when she returned from leave. Because of
this, and for the reasons I articulate above, a jury could reasonably conclude that ODNI’s
rejection of Hannah’s application for permanent employment was based on the exercise
60
of her FMLA rights in requesting and taking a qualifying leave of absence to
accommodate her disability.
61