02
Jan
2026
$100,000.00 Award to Employee
Here, the court addressed the issue as to whether a job applicant was discriminated against due to the applicant’s obesity.
In this case, the job applicant applied for a position with the employer and was rejected due to her obese weight.
The medical profession considers a person morbidly obese if the individual weighs either more than twice the individuals optimal weight, or more than 100 pounds over the optimal weight.
In this case, the employer contended that debtor’s weight would not only interfere with employment duties, but it additionally found that this prospective employee could ultimately jeopardize the welfare of others.
This job applicant was denied employment due solely to her weight. The applicant filed an action against the prospective employer, since employment cannot be denied solely due to an applicant’s weight.
After trial, a jury held that the prospective employer discriminated against the applicant and assessed damages for the individual and against the employer of $100,000.00. Bonnie Cook v. State of Rhode Island et al. (1st Cir. U.S. Court of Appeals, No. 93-1093).
Author: Charles R. Harroun, Attorney at Law
This entry was posted
on Friday, January 2nd, 2026 at 10:30 am and is filed under Employees, National.
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