(NewsNation) — A lawsuit filed this week in federal court says Peace Corps applicants’ invitations to the programs were rescinded for mental health reasons, according to a report by The New York Times.
The lawsuit specifically accuses the Peace Corps of discriminating against applicants with disabilities and violating the Rehabilitation Act. Under the act, employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities is prohibited in the federal sector.
One woman who spoke to the Times, but is not party to the lawsuit, said her offer to be in the Peace Corps was taken back because she was in treatment for anxiety. She had been in therapy to manage “occasional” panic attacks, according to the newspaper, but had never taken any psychiatric medication, been hospitalized or engaged in self-harm.
A letter the woman received said the reason for her “medical non-clearance” is that she is diagnosed with an unspecified anxiety disorder.
“You indicated that your anxiety symptoms of increased heart rate and queasiness recur during periods of stress, which is likely to occur during service,” the letter said, according to The New York Times. Another woman told the New York Times that she was offered a Peace Corps position in Mongolia. She disclosed on her medical clearance forms for the Peace Corps that she made two suicide attempts at age 15, but since then, had been an exchange student and worked for more than a decade as a teacher with no recurrence of suicidal behavior.
The teacher received a rejection letter saying she was assessed as a “high risk.” While she tried to appeal the decision, it was ultimately denied.
“I was shocked, at first, at how broad and antiquated some of these policies seem,” Megan Schuller, legal director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, said in the New York Times article. The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and Bryan Schwartz Law is representing three plaintiffs, who are not named in court filings, per the Times.
In a statement to NewsNation, the Peace Corps said it is unable to comment on pending litigation, though added that the “health, safety, and security of Volunteers are the Peace Corps’ top priorities.”
“The agency has a statutory responsibility to provide necessary and appropriate medical care for volunteers during service, and the ability to provide such care is the foundation of the agency’s medical eligibility determination,” Jim Golden, acting associate director of the corps’ Office of Health Services, said. “Many health conditions — including mental health care — that are easily managed in the U.S. may not be able to be addressed in the areas where Peace Corps Volunteers are assigned.”
On the agency’s website, it states that before receiving an official invitation letter from the Corps, applicants must be medically cleared for service. This includes an “individualized assessment” based on medical records such as immunizations, current medical conditions and ongoing treatment, according to the Peace Corps.
“While we are trying to clear as many people as possible, to ensure your safety and well-being once you are in service abroad, this process is extremely thorough,” the Peace Corps wrote.
However, the website still encourages people to consider applying even if they have “preexisting medical condition, receive mental health care, or take medication.”
“Many volunteers have successfully served while managing these types of health conditions,” the website said.
