Opinion

Babcock & Wilcox Co. v. Ohio Civil Rights Commission

  • 31 Ohio St. 3d 222
  • 31 Ohio B. 430
  • 510 N.E.2d 368
  • 1 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 1117
  • 46 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 37,880
Court
Ohio Supreme Court
Filed
Jul 15, 1987
Status
Published
On the bench
Brown, Douglas, George, Holmes, Locher, Mahoney, Moyer, Ninth, Sweeney, Wright
Cited by
9 cases
Authority
More cited than 91.3%

“Not every person claiming to be an alcoholic is an alcoholic under [anti-discrimination statute]. * * * Something more than the self-serving testimony of the person claiming the handicap might be needed to demonstrate an otherwise hidden handicap”

How later courts described this case

  • “Not every person claiming to be an alcoholic is an alcoholic under [anti-discrimination statute]. * * * Something more than the self-serving testimony of the person claiming the handicap might be needed to demonstrate an otherwise hidden handicap”
  • "Something more than the self-serving testimony of the person claiming the handicap might be needed to demonstrate an otherwise hidden disability.”

Written by the judges who cited it.

The opinion

Per Curiam.

In Hazlett v. Martin Chevrolet, Inc. (1986), 25 Ohio St. 3d 279 , 25 OBR 331, 496 N.E. 2d 478 , syllabus, we held that “[d]rug addiction and alcoholism are handicaps as defined in R.C. 4112.01(A)(13).” Since Hazlett was decided after the court of appeals issued its decision in this cause, neither of the lower courts had the benefit of that decision. Therefore, we must reverse the decision of the court of appeals which directly contradicts our holding in Hazlett and remand this matter to the trial court for reconsideration, in light of Hazlett , of the issue of whether Wirth was impermissibly rejected by B & W because of his handicap. 1

Judgment reversed and cause remanded.

Mahoney, George, Wright and H. Brown, JJ., concur.

Holmes, J., concurs separately.

Moyer, C.J., dissents.

Douglas, J., dissents with opinion.

Mahoney, J., of the Ninth Appellate District, sitting for Sweeney, J.

George, J., of the Ninth Appellate District, sitting for Locher, J.

We do not believe that it is appropriate for us to review the record in this case since neither the court of appeals nor the trial court has reviewed the facts before the commission in light of our holding in Hazlett, supra.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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