News Notes: No Accomodation Required for Contractor’s Employee

Bernard Lopez was an employee of Applied Technology Associates (ATA), which provided contract computer services for the Navy. Lopez sued the Navy, charging that it violated the disability accommodation requirements of the Rehabilitation Act, which is similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act, when it turned down ATA’s request for a handicap parking permit for Lopez, who has a prosthetic leg. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has now ruled that the Navy didn’t have to accommodate Lopez because it wasn’t his employer. The Navy had no control over the terms and conditions of his work because ATA had sole responsibility for hiring, training, and supervising Lopez.