Social Anxiety Disorder As Disability Under The ADA

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, reversing a district court in North Carolina, has sided with the EEOC and ruled that “social anxiety disorder” can be a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ruling allows a North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts employee who had been fired to take her case to a jury. Attorneys from Ogletree Deakins, in their writeup of the case, note that in addition to discussing the status of social anxiety disorder as a disability, the court made two important points about what lead to its decision and employers are well advised to pay attention: The employer had not documented any performance or disciplinary issues, and it had not engaged in a good faith interactive process as part of an attempt to work out an accommodation.