DECATUR — On May 19, after a three-day trial, a jury found that the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office discriminated and retaliated against a disabled veteran after she notified her supervisors of her diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The case was filed in 2019 under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act.
The jury awarded the plaintiff back pay equivalent to two years salary, plus compensatory damages, for a total verdict of $202,811.96.
The case was tried before Judge J. P. Boulee in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Williams was represented by Regan Keebaugh and James Radford of the Decatur law firm Radford & Keebaugh.
“It was an honor to represent this veteran. Hearing the jury’s verdict was such a proud moment, and it makes the long hours and stress of trial worth it,” said Radford.
Williams, a U.S. Army Reserve veteran, had been an employee of the Sheriff’s Office since 2012 and was working as a Sheriff’s Services Clerk.
In 2019, after she was transferred from the day shift to the night shift, she sent her supervisors a letter from her providers at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, notifying them that the shift change may cause her to experience increased symptoms associated with her PTSD.
Her immediate supervisors were all willing to work with her, and one gentleman volunteered to escort her to her vehicle in the evening. However, when former Sheriff Victor Hill was informed of the request, he wrote “do a fit for duty status and release from employment.”
At trial, the Sheriff’s Office argued that Williams’ disability rendered her unqualified for the job.
They also claimed that Williams was terminated for coming to work one day with her hair dyed red. They further argued that she was unable to work, citing her disability rating…
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