Retiree cannot recover under the Americans with Disabilities Act

With five separate opinions, the US Supreme Court (8-1) holds that a retiree cannot recover under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because a plaintiff must plead and prove that she held or desired a job, and could perform its essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation, at the time of an employer’s alleged act of disability-based discrimination. Stanley v. City of Stanford (US Supreme Ct 06/20/2025 [PDF].

Karyn Stanley claimed disability discrimination because the employer changed its retirement benefits—retirees with 25 years of service received coverage until age 65, but she had less than 25 years of service, so she received only 24 months of health insurance.

Under the ADA definitions, she was not a “qualified individual” because she didn’t have a job and was not seeking a job, and was not able to do the job after retiring.