Justice Department sues Indiana town for rejecting man for police job because he has HIV
The Justice Department is suing the southern Indiana town of Clarksville, alleging its police department denied a job to a man because he has HIV.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, accuses Clarksville of violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits employers from discriminating against candidates based on disability status, including those with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
“Those who are qualified and seek to serve their communities should not be subjected to unlawful discrimination," said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. attorney for the district.
The man worked for over a year as a volunteer reserve officer, and the Justice Department said he was fully qualified for the job. Clarksville police had offered a job to the man, but then dropped the offer in 2015 based on his HIV status, the Justice Department said.
Clarksville Town Manager Kevin Baity told The Associated Press that the town is working to "find an amicable solution."
The man spent 15 months appealing the decision. Clarksville never hired the man, even after adding him back as a candidate, according to the lawsuit.
He is currently working with another police department.
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Contributing: The Associated Press
Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.