RALEIGH, N.C. -- A North Carolina judge refused to order the reinstatement of a state employee fired in 2008 for repeatedly sleeping on the job.
The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday that an administrative law judge ruled the Transportation Department had good cause to fire Elsie Hinton.
Hinton had complained she was a victim of discrimination banned by federal law. She said she suffered from sleep apnea (AP'-nee-ah), a condition that prevents her from getting uninterrupted sleep.
State officials said Hinton fell asleep on the job several times over a five-year period, was disciplined, and given the opportunity to get medical help.
Hinton was a $55,000-a-year artist at the Department of Transportation when she was fired.
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