Court Says State Can’t Be Sued Over Sick Leave

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says a state can't be sued under the Family and Medical Leave Act for refusing to give an employee time off to recover from an illness.

The high court on Tuesday refused to let Daniel Coleman sue the Maryland state Court of Appeals for firing him after he asked for sick leave.

Coleman asked for leave in 2007 to recover from an illness. His request was denied and he was fired. He sued under the Family and Medical Leave Act, but his lawsuit was thrown out, with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying states could not be sued under the FMLA.

The high court agreed. But four justices dissented, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who in an unusual move read her dissent aloud in court.