Date: 07-22-2002

Case Style: Stephen C. Orr v. Wal-Mart Stores

Case Number: 01-2959

Judge: Riley

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Plaintiff's Attorney: Thom K. Cope of Polsky, Shiffermiller, Law Firm, Lincoln, Nebraska

Defendant's Attorney: Christopher R. Hedican and Heidi A. Guttau-Fox of Baird, Holm Law Firm, Omaha, Nebraska

Description: Stephen Orr (Orr) filed a law suit against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Wal-Mart) alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Nebraska Fair Employment Practices Act (NFEPA). Concluding Orr failed to show he was disabled under either the ADA or the NFEPA, the district court 1 granted summary judgment in favor of Wal-Mart. Orr appeals. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

Stephen Orr is a pharmacist licensed in Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. In 1986, Orr was diagnosed with diabetes. To control his diabetes, Orr uses a glucometer to monitor his blood glucose levels, takes insulin, and eats a special diet within thirty minutes of taking insulin. During the time relevant to this lawsuit, Orr injected insulin three times each day – in early morning, at noon, and before bedtime. Orr controls his disease to the best of his ability. When his diabetes is not well controlled, he suffers from vision impairment, low energy, lack of concentration and mental awareness, lack of physical strength and coordination, slurred speech, difficulties typing and reading, and slowed performance.

In January 1998, Orr became employed full time as a pharmacist at a Wal-Mart store in Chadron, Nebraska. This Chadron store was a single-pharmacist Wal-Mart facility, and Orr was the only pharmacist on duty during his work day. Before accepting employment, Orr informed Wal-Mart District Manager Rick Coleman (Coleman) he was an insulin-dependent diabetic. Coleman authorized Orr to take a lunch break and mid-day breaks during his ten-hour work shift. Orr understood Coleman to authorize him to take an uninterrupted lunch break, and Orr routinely closed the pharmacy for thirty minutes over the noon hour to eat lunch.

John Foss (Foss) succeeded Coleman as district manager in charge of the Chadron store. Foss informed Orr that Wal-Mart policy 2 required the pharmacy to remain open during store hours and instructed Orr not to close the pharmacy during his lunch break. Orr did not comply with Wal-Mart policy and continued to close the pharmacy for thirty minutes in order to take an uninterrupted lunch. On March 5, 1998, Foss issued Orr a written warning for closing the pharmacy. The written warning stated that further non-compliance would result in Orr's termination.

Orr responded in writing to the warning with his "action plan" and without mentioning his diabetes.

Per this presentation & our discussion of the issues a[t] hand. I respectfully protest this presentation & Decision-Making Day. My understanding of time off for lunch & breaks apparently was a misunderstanding of company policy as presented by Rick Coleman. My leaving the Pharmacy on 2/25 was specifically for company (Pharmacy) business to pick up a CII Rx at the Clinic.

I will from this date forward take my lunch break within the confines of the Pharmacy & maintain the opening of the Pharmacy from 9-7AM Mon.-Fri & 9-6 on Sat during my scheduled days shift.

Orr initially abided by Wal-Mart's policy and kept the pharmacy continuously open during store hours. However, a week after receiving the written warning, Orr wrote to Foss requesting he rescind the written warning based on Orr's original understanding and agreement with Coleman. Orr stated, in part: "I had discussed with Rick Coleman during the interview process conducted at Wal-Mart in Rapid City, that I was an Insulin Dependent Diabetic. Rick Coleman agreed that I could take lunch breaks." On April 8, 1998, after receiving no response, Orr wrote to Foss again asking him to remove the written warning from Orr's personnel file. In his second letter, Orr informed Foss that, due to his adherence to Wal-Mart policy requiring the pharmacy to remain open, he was unable to eat until "much after noon, resulting in my experiencing symptoms of hypoglycemia." Orr expressed concern that not having an uninterrupted lunch break could adversely affect the control of his diabetes.

On April 17, 1998, Foss wrote to Orr and advised him that the written warning would not be rescinded. Foss said he had discussed the situation with higher management. Foss's letter informed Orr that Coleman denied ever authorizing Orr to close the pharmacy to take a lunch break. In his letter Foss also explained that Wal-Mart had always permitted Orr to control his diabetes by bringing food into the pharmacy, providing access to a refrigerator, and allowing him to eat or snack in the pharmacy.

On April 24, 1998, Orr wrote Foss and again asked him to rescind the written warning. Orr's letter relayed to Foss that working in the pharmacy without an uninterrupted daily lunch break was adversely affecting the control of his diabetes. On May 7, 1998, Orr wrote another letter to Foss, informing him that, as a result of the no lunch break policy, Orr had incurred "several low, hypoglycemic incidents." Orr expressed his disappointment with Wal-Mart's indifference to his needs as a diabetic, and Orr informed Foss he was resuming noon lunch breaks away from the pharmacy for the maintenance of his diabetic health. Thereafter, Foss terminated Orr.

II. DISCUSSION

Orr argues the district court erred in finding he was not disabled within the meaning of the ADA. Under the ADA, a disability is defined as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual." 42 U.S.C. § 12102(2)(A).

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Click the case caption above for the full text of the Court's opinion.

Outcome: For the reasons cited above, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

Plaintiff's Experts: Unavailable

Defendant's Experts: Unavailable

Comments: None