Texas Department of Transportation v. Lara (Opinion)
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The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the court of appeals concluding that Plaintiff's claim that his employer failed to reasonably accommodate his disability was viable and that Plaintiff did not meet the elements required for a retaliation claim but reversed the court of appeals' judgment that Plaintiff did not plead a disability-discrimination claim under Tex. Lab. Code 21.051, holding that Plaintiff's pleadings gave fair notice of a claim for discrimination under section 21.051.
After Plaintiff exhausted his five months of sick leave while recovering from surgery the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) terminated him. Plaintiff sued under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA). TxDOT filed a motion to dismiss, which the trial court denied. The court of appeals affirmed in part and reversed in part, holding (1) Plaintiff raised a genuine issue of material fact with respect to his failure to accommodate claim; (2) Plaintiff could not make a prima facie case of retaliation; and (3) Plaintiff's pleadings gave fair notice of a claim for discrimination under section 21.051.
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