This is from Maria Danaher at Ogletree Deakins:
... The federal district court granted summary judgment in favor of the [employer], finding that Jacobs’ social anxiety disorder was not a disability as a matter of law under the ADA.
On appeal, however, the Fourth Circuit reversed that dismissal, agreeing with the EEOC’s view that interacting with others is a major life activity, and pointing out that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual’s fourth edition (DSM-IV) describes social anxiety disorder as a condition that “interferes significantly with the person’s normal routine, occupational . . . functioning, or social activities or relationships.” Therefore, under the ADA, social anxiety disorder would be viewed as a disability.
The court’s opinion includes a detailed explanation of the mistaken analysis of the district court. While the opinion includes numerous important analytical points – specifically including the analysis of social anxiety disorder as a per se disability under the ADA – the court raised two additional issues of which employers should take particular note. ...
