A disability discrimination complaint, filed by a Mercer County Community College employee fired after he contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized on a ventilator, has been resolved, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.

The Division on Civil Rights issued a finding of probable cause in the case, which stated that the unnamed employee was hospitalized in critical condition in December 2021, and that he developed pneumonia, kidney failure, sepsis and motor issues as a result of contracting COVID-19. After the employee exhausted both his sick time and his sick bank credits, the college refused to allow him to extend his leave time or to work a hybrid schedule while he continued to recover, according to a press release.

"Under New Jersey law, an employee who suffers a serious illness or disability may be entitled to an accommodation that allows them to recover and heal rather than be fired because they are unable to return to work," Platkin said. "We will continue to pursue disability discrimination complaints on behalf of those workers who have not been treated fairly, justly, or with respect."