Paul Cronan

Legal Case Model

Relevant Facts:

Paul Cronan started working for the New England Telephone Company (NET) in June 1973 as a file clerk. In 1983, he was promoted to service technician at the Needham, Massachusetts office. After 18 months, he was transferred to South Boston where he was working at the time this case began. During the first six months of 1985, Paul Cronan was absent from work on and off because of the symptoms of AIDS-related complex (ARC). In June, Paul was denied time off to go to a doctor's appointment by his supervisor, Charles O'Brian, who had granted him permission on two other occasions that spring, unless Cronan told him about the nature of the ailment. Cronan feared losing his job and made O'Brian promise the conversation would not go any further before he informed him about AIDS. O'Brian assured him that his medical condition was private and nobody else's business.

O'Brian permitted Cronan to leave early and then told his immediate supervisor, Paul Cloran, who immediately told his supervisor. O'Brian acknowledged in court papers that he told three other supervisors as well as his successor, Richard Griffin. Cronan saw the company doctor, as requested. Two days later, on Sunday, a friendly co-worker informed Cronan that she had heard he had AIDS. Word of his illness had spread among his co-workers and threats were made to lynch him if he returned. Fearing bodily harm and health-threatening stress, Cronan called on Monday and requested to be put on medical leave. His illness benefits were in place until they ran out on June 10, 1986.

In December, 1985, Cronan filed a $1.45 million civil lawsuit in state court against NET. The legal action charged that the company had violated state privacy law by disclosing Cronan's illness and had illegally discriminated against him. On October 16, 1986, a settlement was reached. Cronan would start back the following week at the Needham facility, and NET would educate Cronan's new co-workers about AIDS. The company admitted no wrong-doing and denied all allegations. On Wednesday, October 22, 1986, twenty-nine employees of NET walked off their jobs to protest the return of Cronan.

Critical