Small business wins case

Tuesday, April 22, 2003 | 9:51 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court today made it easier for some small businesses to avoid complying with laws against on-the-job discrimination such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The court ruled 7-2 that directors of professional corporations, such as medical practices, can often be excluded from the 15-employee minimum that triggers compliance with the ADA. The court gave an Oregon medical clinic a new chance to prove it isn't covered by the disability-bias law and therefore doesn't have to face a suit filed by a former employee.

Clackamas Gastroenterology Associates argues its doctors are partners who don't count toward the employee total. Other federal job-bias laws have similar rules to decide whether a company is covered. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act sets a 20-employee minimum, while the 1964 Civil Rights Act's job-bias section applies to businesses with at least 15 workers.

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