Employees with Infectious Disease
BP 4119.41
All Personnel
EMPLOYEES WITH INFECTIOUS DISEASE
The School Board encourages each employee to inform the district as soon as possible if he/she contracts an infectious disease which creates a physical or mental disability. The district will reasonably accommodate the needs of such individuals.
No employee will be discriminated against because of his/her disability. Legal protections established for disabled persons extend to individuals significantly impaired by infectious diseases.
(cf. 4030 - Nondiscrimination in Employment)
(cf. 4112.4/4112.4/4312.4 - Health Examinations)
| Note: Decisions regarding reasonable accommodation of employees with infectious diseases should be made in consultation with one or more medical doctors, including the employee's physician, and with legal counsel. When the district's medical expert, the employee's treating physician and the district's legal counsel do not agree as to what accommodation is reasonable, the Superintendent may convene a medical review panel consisting of a public health physician with expertise in infectious disease, the employee's treating physician, the employee and/or employee's representative, and the Superintendent or designee. |
When informed that an employee has a disabling infectious disease, the Superintendent or designee may request that the employee sign a release form to provide confidential medical information and records.
In determining a reasonable accommodation of the employee's condition, the Superintendent or designee may consult with public health officials or physicians with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease. The Superintendent or designee may also communicate with the employee's physician regarding the employee's ability to perform the essential requirements of the job with reasonable accommodation and without posing significant health or safety risks to the employee or others.
The Superintendent or designee shall prepare a confidential report which includes his/her recommendation and the medical information upon which it is based. These recommendations shall take into consideration:
- The nature of the disease and the probability of its being transmitted, including the duration and severity of the risk.
- The physical condition of the employee, including diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of the condition.
- The actual requirements of the employee's job and the expected type of interaction with others in the school setting.
This report shall be forwarded to the Board for confidential review and action.
The job assignment of an employee with a disabling infectious disease shall be reevaluated whenever there is a change in medical knowledge or in the employee's medical regimen or health which might affect his/her assignment.
Confidentiality
The Board and the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that employee rights to confidentiality are strictly observed. The district shall disclose medical record information only to the extent required or permitted by law. The medical records of any employee with a disabling infectious disease shall be held in strict confidence.
Legal Reference:
ALASKA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
4 AAC 06.140 AIDS in school personnel
4 AAC 06.150 Confidentiality of AIDS information
ALASKA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
4 AAC 06.140 AIDS in school personnel
4 AAC 06.150 Confidentiality of AIDS information
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.
School Board of Nassau County, Fla. v. Arline, 408 U.S. 273 (1987)
KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Adoption Date: 10/13/99