It’s a ruling that employment and civil rights attorneys hail as a decisive victory for employees, and one that sends a clear message to employers that a request for a reasonable accommodation should never be ignored or dismissed.

In Richter v. Oakland Board of Education, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled unanimously on June 8 to uphold an Appellate Division ruling in favor of plaintiff Mary Richter that an adverse employment action is not a required element for a failure-to-accommodate claim under the state’s Law Against Discrimination.