Utah Man Sues Alaska Troopers, Says His Job Offer Was Yanked After Revealing HIV Status
U.S. News & World Report ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A Salt Lake City man who says his job offer to become an Alaska State Trooper was rescinded after he disclosed he was HIV positive filed a lawsuit in state court Thursday to get his position on the statewide police force and to prevent others from suffering similar alleged discrimination.
The lawsuit was filed electronically by Anchorage civil rights attorney Caitlin Shortell on behalf of a man only identified as John Doe, whose HIV is undetectable and untransmissible.
There are no reservations about his ability to do the duties of the job, and he is completely fit, Shortell said, adding he can work without accommodations.
Doe seeks to challenge the constitutionality of the Alaska State Troopers rescission of a job offer based on his being a person who lives with HIV, in light of medical advancements that render HIV status irrelevant to a persons ability to meet the criteria for entry and service at Alaska State Troopers in any capacity, the lawsuit states.
It alleges violations of civil rights laws, the state and U.S. constitutions and the Alaska Human Rights Act. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the lawsuit, which, as of Thursday morning, had not yet appeared online.
