One of the fundamental values we share as Americans is the belief that, if your rights are violated, you're entitled to your day in court to prove it. But the law is tricky—sometimes bad actors get special immunity from laws that we all agree should be followed.

This is now the case for disabled state employees in Georgia, who can no longer rely on the protection of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This month, in Augusta Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender v. Hodge-Peets, the Georgia Attorney General's Office succeeded in persuading the Court of Appeals to overturn an important precedent that gave Georgia employees that protection. One of the judges called upon the General Assembly to evaluate the consequences of this decision, but the General Assembly has yet to pass a law reinstating this protection, just as it has failed for many years to pass a state employment discrimination law which would allow employees to enforce their rights in court as many other states have. So now, the State of Georgia can violate the rights of its own employees under ADA without having to worry about them challenging it in court.