Norfolk Southern, Conductor Settle Job Bias Suit Over Opioid Use

Norfolk Southern Corp. and a conductor who claimed the company violated federal disability bias law when it benched him because he was taking morphine and Oxycodone for knee and back pain have settled his lawsuit, Alabama federal court records show.

Kenton Howard said the railroad placed him on a “medical hold” pending further assessment his situation, pointing to the safety-sensitive nature of his job. He had been with Norfolk Southern for years without revealing his physical issues and medications but disclosed his methadone and Oxycodone use after falsely testing positive for cocaine in February 2012.

The U.S. District Court for ...