Crossville, TN- A  Cumberland County correctional officer may receive $160,000 after being forced to resign after taking prescribed medication to treat opioid use disorder. The lawsuit claims that the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department violated Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not allowing the employee to take his prescribed medication during the job.

The State Department of Justice announced filing a complaint and proposed a consent decree with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee to resolve the allegations. As part of the consent decree, which still needs to be approved by the court, the Department of Justice asked Cumberland County to pay $160,000 to the former corporal. The agreement also would require Cumberland County to move forward to make sure its policies are ADA-compliant including requiring the county to train employees about the ADA and how to provide reasonable accommodations.