⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Tenth Circuit hears an ADA case arising from Karima Javanzad's 2020 medical leave. The Appliance Factory sales associate took leave after her son became ill and she developed suspected COVID-19. She was briefly cleared to return but remained out for childcare, then reported severe gastrointestinal symptoms, trouble breathing and speaking, and a pending endoscopy. As her twelve weeks under the Family and Medical Leave Act expired, Javanzad asked what additional leave was available. She says that, in a disputed June 2 call, she requested a few more weeks to complete testing and obtain treatment. The company required her to return and fired her when she did not. The EEOC sued for failure to accommodate, disability discrimination, and retaliation. The district court ended the case without trial at summary judgment, holding that the company lacked adequate notice of a disability and that Javanzad had not clearly requested a time-limited accommodation. The appeal asks whether a jury could find otherwise, and whether ‘a few weeks’ was definite enough to trigger the ADA's accommodation process.

EEOC v. A & A Appliance (No. 25-1451) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, argued September 15, 2026.