On October 25, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit validated the dismissal of a lawsuit brought forward by a certified nursing assistant against a state-funded healthcare facility. Citing the principle of qualified immunity, the court confirmed that the defendant facility, which houses veterans, was entitled to this defense.
According to the full version of the court’s Oct. 25 opinion, the decision was authored by U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí for the First Circuit. He backed up the Massachusetts District Court’s previous dismissal of the assistant’s series of claims pertaining to violations of his constitutional substantive due process rights.
The assistant had alleged that, during the COVID-19 outbreak, his rights to a safe work environment, freedom from state-created danger, and to bodily integrity had been violated. However, with this ruling, his claims against the facility have been conclusively rebuffed.
The detailed coverage of this legal development can be found at Law.com.