Woman with ‘Shy Bladder Syndrome’ Suing Prospective Employer
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DES MOINES, Iowa) — A woman with a condition that makes here unable to go to the bathroom in public restrooms without water running is suing a Des Moines hospital that she claims was not accommodating to her condition during a job application.
Jennifer Connor has a condition called paruresis, but it is more commonly known as “shy bladder syndrome.”
There are an estimated 17 million Americans with this condition; a social phobia that makes it impossible for suffers to go to the bathroom in public restrooms. Running water to mask any sounds is often the only way people with shy bladders are able to “go” in public.
Connor was applying to be organ transplant financial coordinator for Iowa Methodist Medical Center. She had already been offered the job on the condition that she pass a drug test, but she was placed in a room with no running water and could not produce a urine sample.
The job offer was rescinded.
Paruresis is covered under the Americans with Disabilities act, and Connor is suing the hospital, saying it did not accommodate her condition.
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