Juan Alonzo-Miranda, shown with his service dog Goldie
Photo by Robin Jerstad /San Antonio Express-News
A Texas man whose former employer refused to let him bring his service dog to work to help him cope with the effects of PTSD has been awarded both lost wages and damages by a federal jury. Juan Alonzo-Miranda had sued Schlumberger Technology Corp.for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because the company forced him to wait six months before getting approval to bring Goldie, his dog, into the workplace. The jury’s first-of-its-kind ruling awarded Alonzo-Miranda 5,386.50 for lost overtime wages, plus $23,205 in compensatory damages. However, the jury decided against assessing punitive damages.
“Today is a blue-ribbon day for America and the veterans who have protected us,” said John Griffin Jr., a Victoria lawyer representing Alonzo-Miranda. “San Antonio can be proud to be the place that lit the way for our veterans who suffer PTSD and who served us so well in war, and now want to serve us in peace.”
Let’s hope that this ruling serves as a precedent that will force employers to adhere to the the ADA.