A man claims that his offer of a job as an Alaska State Trooper was rescinded when he revealed he has HIV. He’s now suing over the alleged discrimination.

In June, a Salt Lake City man, identified as John Doe, filed a lawsuit in Alaska state court to secure his position on the statewide police force, reports The Associated Press (AP). He hopes a victory in this case will help prevent others from experiencing similar discrimination. HIV is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

According to the AP, Doe’s lawsuit “seeks to challenge the constitutionality of the Alaska State Troopers’ rescission of a job offer based on his being a person who lives with HIV, in light of medical advancements that render HIV status irrelevant to a person’s ability to meet the criteria for entry and service at Alaska State Troopers.”

The lawsuit cites violations of civil rights laws, the state and U.S. constitutions and the Alaska Human Rights Act.

Doe has wanted to be a law enforcement officer since he was a child, according to the lawsuit. He applied to be a trooper in April 2020. Six months later, he received a conditional offer of employment. He had also passed the written psychological test and an interview and taken a polygraph test and a medical exam.

The Alaska State Troopers later rescinded the conditional job offer, stating that more qualified applicants were being considered, including applicants with military training and residency in Alaska, neither of which is required for the job.

The lawsuit counters that these reasons “were nothing more than a false pretext
for unconstitutional discrimination based on Doe’s HIV status.”