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, holding that an employee must possess the bona fide occupational qualifications for the position to invoke the LAD’s accommodation duty and that an employer is not required to convert a temporary light‑duty assignment into a permanent one for a permanently disabled employee. The Court applied a de novo standard of review to the legal issues and affirmed the trial court’s factual findings. Justice LONG dissented, arguing that the jury’s verdict should stand because inmate contact was not an essential function and the employer could have accommodated the plaintiff.