Judge dismisses HIV discrimination lawsuit against dental chain

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed last year against Great Expressions Dental Centers by a former employee who claimed he was fired because he had HIV.

James White, who worked for Great Expressions in Bloomfield Hills, MI, in 2008 and 2009, claimed he was subjected to "systematic abuse and harassment" by co-workers after they became aware of his HIV status. White said he was also subjected to unexpected changes in his schedule and was written up for unexcused absences when he complied with the schedule changes.

White subsequently filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which ruled in 2011 that there was "reasonable cause" to believe he had been subject to discrimination because of his HIV status. But Great Expressions rejected an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settlement agreement that included more than $140,000 in compensatory damages and $45,000 in punitive damages.

In a lawsuit filed against Great Expressions in early 2012, White accused the company of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act.

But in late November, U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland granted summary judgment to Great Expressions, according to an Associated Press story.