John Deere Worker With Mental Health Issues Loses Bias Appeal

A Deere & Co. employee lacked proof his termination after more than 30 years in the company was caused by his depression and anxiety, and not by his difficulty interacting with co-workers and history of attendance and performance problems.

The ruling Thursday by the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the company, which does business as John Deere, on Michael James Winters’ disability discrimination claims under Iowa law. The ruling is a reminder that an employer’s violation of its own policies isn’t always evidence that its justification for a job decision is pretextual.

Winters ...