Service Sanitation Job Applicant Can Pursue Genetic Privacy Suit

Service Sanitation Inc failed to convince a federal court to dismiss claims that it violated the Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act when it asked a job applicant about their family medical history.

As part of Service Sanitation’s hiring process, a medical examiner asked the applicant whether their family had “a history of diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and other medical conditions,” according to the order filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

District judges differ as to how to define genetic information under GIPA, Judge Sara L. Ellis said. Family medical history is sufficient ...