US settlement signals protections for addiction medicine

By TRAVIS LOLLER
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Tennessee correctional officer could receive $160,000 in back pay and damages after he was forced to resign for taking Suboxone to treat his opioid use disorder. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a landmark consent decree for the award in federal court in Nashville on Wednesday. The Department had challenged a Cumberland County policy that led to the officer’s forced resignation in spite of positive job reviews. According to the Justice Department, it’s the first time they’ve used the Americans with Disabilities Act to settle a claim that an employee was discriminated against for taking a prescribed medication to treat drug addiction. The consent decree won’t be final until it’s approved by a judge.