Background
The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) adopted a rule prohibiting the employment of anyone who used narcotic drugs. This rule was applied to persons using methadone, a drug used to treat heroin addiction. Two former NYCTA employees who had been fired while receiving methadone treatment and two applicants who were denied employment because of their use and past use of methadone sued the TA in federal district court.
The court for the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and found the policy unconstitutional. While the district court enjoined the NYCTA from denying employment solely on the basis of past or current participation in a methadone maintenance program, it did authorize the transit authority to exclude methadone users from certain safety-related positions, as well as to condition employment on satisfactory performance in a methadone program for at least one year. This decision was affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Read more about this topic: New York City Transit Authority V. Beazer
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