Tony Kassa suffers from bipolar disorder and intermittent explosive disorder. While working for Synovus Financial Corporation, his supervisor knew about his disorders and granted his request to take short breaks when he became frustrated. As part of a corporate restructuring, Kassa was transferred to the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) team to handle customer service calls. Worried about the possible affects that his disorders might have during calls, Kassa asked his new supervisor if he could take a short break whenever he was having an episode. This request was not granted. Several months later, after a “rude and unprofessional” comment during a call, Kassa was terminated. Kassa filed suit, alleging discrimination under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) for his employer’s failure to provide him with a reasonable accommodation for his disability. A federal trial court granted the company’s motion for summary judgment. Kassa appealed.

Did Synovus violate the ADA by denying Kassa’s request to take short breaks?