After doing this for well over 20 years, I’m still impressed at some of the claims that get brought. I was reading this week about a New York firefighter (subscription) who fought his demotion for having an extramarital affair with a subordinate. He argued, unsuccessfully, that the demotion violated his First Amendment right to intimate associations. I’m no strict constructionist when it comes to the Constitution. But I still think it worth noting that the framers probably weren’t thinking the Bill of Rights needed to protect the rights of supervisors to have sex with their subordinates.

But the prize, in my opinion, goes to a New York (notice a pattern?) sludge boat captain fired (subscription) for refusing to take a drug test. He claimed that the employer unlawfully refused to accommodate his disability. What disability? Shy bladder syndrome. We have a winner!

Update – October 24, 2011:  My comments about shy bladder syndrome have offended certain readers.  I’m collecting their comments under this post.