Linda K. Atkins worked at a Dollar General store in Tennessee, that was until she was fired for drinking a bottle of orange juice to treat her diabetic condition while on her shift.
Atkins felt a hypoglycemic attack immanently approaching and therefore drank the store’s orange juice to stop the attack. According to the lawsuit, “To avoid leaving the cash register unattended, and for the security of the stores, Ms. Atkins grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the cooler and consumed it to stabilize her blood sugar.”
Atkins had paid for the bottle of OJ immediately after consumption. A year later she subsequently had another approaching attack and did the same. Again, paying for the product she used. She then asked management permission to keep juice near the register in case another episode were to happen. She was denied and fired for violating the store’s “grazing” policy against consuming in-store products before purchasing them.
Atkins sued the company claiming the store discriminated against her in regards to the Americans with Disabilities act. A jury sided with the woman’s pain and suffering, awarding her $277,000.
WLS-AM’s own Big John Howell suffers from the same condition, but typically will blame his ‘disability’ whenever he finds himself in trouble with station management.
Here it all here on John and Ray in 60-Minutes:
