The big picture: A New Jersey jury awarded a teacher over $1.6 million in a case where a school district was found to have retaliated against her for requesting disability accommodations and constructively discharged her. The district failed to properly engage in the interactive process required by law.

Why it matters: This significant judgment underscores the critical importance for employers to genuinely engage in the interactive process for disability accommodations, rather than treating requests as simple denials.

Between the lines:

• The teacher, Tracey Silverschotz, had significant hearing loss and requested reassignment to a smaller class.
• The district denied her request, citing performance concerns, and later placed her in a