Judge Thomas McAvoy
Injured in a 2008 fall at work, college employee Reeve took medical leave and underwent spinal fusion in 2010. His doctor advised reduced walking and standing. After returning to work in the fall of 2011 Reeve requested a “centrally located office” instead of his current basement office, which lacked rest room and elevator access. On Dec. 12, 2011, he rejected two offered rooms on the ground they lacked windows, and were further from his laboratory. Nor did he accept a third Jan. 13, 2012, offer that included sharing an office. Reeve accepted a June 2013 offer. District court dismissed Reeve’s amended complaint—alleging defendants’ violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not engaging in an interactive process with him to identify a reasonable accommodation to his disability—for failure to satisfy Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8. Despite showing that defendants responded to Reeve’s accommodation request and discussed options with him, the confusing nature of his complaint’s allegations precluded dismissal for failure to state a claim. The amended complaint alleged defendants provided numerous options aimed at accommodating Reeve’s disability. The court granted Reeve 30 days to file a second amended complaint.
