Alexandra Zimmer | Stanley v. City of Sanford, Florida

Former firefighter Karyn Stanley appeals the holding of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals that a “qualified individual with a disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) does not include a former employee, and therefore a former employee may not sue for discrimination under the Act. In 1999, Stanley began working as a firefighter for the City of Sanford, Florida. Through her employment, she accrued fringe benefits such as health insurance, for which premiums were to be paid by the former employer for a certain period after the employee retires. During the course of Stanley’s employment, the city changed the period of time for which it would pay those premiums.  While the Department previously paid the premiums for all employees up to age of 65, it would now only pay for up to 24 months or until receipt of Medicare coverage, whichever comes first, for those who were placed on disability retirement contingent upon other requirements that allowed these benefits to accrue, such as length of employment.