The Recovery Bill of Rights
is a statement of the principle that all Americans have a right to recover from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Learn more…
Campaigns: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Fighting for Our Rights: Diane Veltri’s Fight Against Job Discrimination and the ADA
Diane Veltri, a 17-year employee of United Parcel Service (UPS), filed a federal class action lawsuit against the company, claiming that she and others with an addiction to alcohol and other drugs were victims of discrimination in August 2004 under the ADA. Veltri is in recovery from alcoholism and received inpatient and outpatient treatment while employed by UPS. The lawsuit alleges that she was illegally terminated because the company’s employee assistance program believed that her use of Xanax was not appropriate for a person in recovery from alcoholism.
The lawsuit alleges that UPS illegally terminated hundreds of employees because it disapproved of their prescription medication. In Veltri’s case, it alleges that UPS required her to stop taking Xanax as a condition for returning to her job, despite her doctor’s advice that it was in her best interest to take the drug and that she undergo tests for the drug.
According to court papers, UPS singles out employees with a history of addiction to alcohol or drugs, and forces them to disclose their prescriptions. The company then prohibits these employees from using any medications it believes are “inappropriate” for someone in recovery. UPS tests the employee’s urine to make sure she has topped using her prescription. If the employee has not quit her medicine, she is fired. More information on the case can be found at http://www.lambertonlaw.com.