Michael J. Raspa, Jr., Plaintiff-Respondent v. Office of the Sheriff of the County of Gloucester, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed the Appellate Division and remanded for entry of judgment in favor of the sheriff’s office, holding that a permanently disabled employee who cannot perform the essential functions of a corrections officer is not a qualified employee under the Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and that the employer is not required to convert a temporary light‑duty assignment into a permanent position. The Court affirmed that the LAD does not obligate an employer to provide an indefinite light‑duty posting for a permanently disabled worker whose disability precludes essential job duties. Justice LONG dissented, arguing that the jury’s finding that the employee could perform essential functions was supported by the record and should be upheld.