Disabled Iraq Veteran called "cripple and worthless" as civilian Army employee

How does something like this happen?

Judges OK Tossing of $4.4M Verdict in Disabled Army Vet
Military.com
by David Ashen, Detroit Free Press

"supervisor and co-workers derided him, calling him a "cripple" and "worthless."

A federal appeals court upheld Wednesday a judge's decision to throw out a $4.4-million jury verdict for an Army veteran who lost his hand while serving in Iraq -- only to be ridiculed about his disability by co-workers and a boss while working as a civilian Army employee.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals said the district judge didn't abuse his discretion by instead requiring the Army to follow through on its offer to reinstate James McKelvey to a job with higher pay at the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) in Warren.

But the appellate panel reversed U.S. District Judge John O'Meara on another point, concluding that a hostile work environment forced McKelvey, 40, of Macomb Township to quit. So, the Army must provide McKelvey with about $100,000 in back pay, his lawyer said.
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