By Suzie Ziegler
CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — A qualified police officer was discriminated against and denied a job based on his positive HIV status, a Justice Department lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit says the Clarksville Police Department “unlawfully revoked a job offer to a qualified law enforcement officer based on his Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis.” The officer had been working as a volunteer reserve officer for over a year and was qualified to work as a full-time, sworn officer, according to the report.
“No qualified individual should lose a hard-earned career opportunity because of misguided views about their disability that are not supported by medicine or science,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke in a statement. “This lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s firm commitment to protecting qualified workers, including those with HIV, from unlawful employment discrimination.”
In the lawsuit, the Justice Department claims that Clarksville Police violated Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title 1 “prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability.”
The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.