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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is defending a disability-accommodation lawsuit brought by former job candidate Fiona Torres. She alleges SHRM withdrew a job offer after she asked to bring a trained service dog that alerts her to dangerous blood-glucose changes. SHRM disputes her account and says it considered alternatives. A federal jury trial began October 6, 2026, in Alexandria, Virginia; the available reporting confirms the trial’s start, not its outcome.
Why SHRM is going to court
Torres’s case centers on a Senior Specialist job in SHRM’s Product Management Department in Alexandria. According to the case summary, SHRM offered her the position on June 3, 2024. Her complaint alleges that she requested permission to bring her trained service dog to work because it alerts her to dangerous blood-glucose changes related to Type 1 diabetes, and that SHRM rescinded the offer on July 15, 2024. Those claims have not been established by a court.
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Torres filed Torres v. Society for Human Resource Management, No. 1:25-cv-02360, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on December 16, 2025. The complaint asserts claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Virginia Human Rights Act, including disability discrimination and failure to accommodate. The Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse case summary describes the filing and procedural history.
What each side says about the accommodation request
Torres’s allegations
Torres says the dog helps detect dangerous glucose changes. HR Dive reported that her complaint described about ten blackouts a year before she acquired the dog and one incident in the eight years afterward. That is an allegation attributed to the complaint, not an independently verified medical statistic or a court finding.
SHRM’s response
In a public statement dated September 28, 2026, SHRM said it did not reject Torres’s request outright. It said it sought to understand her needs and asked her to consult her physician about possible alternatives, describing that as a good-faith effort to find a mutually agreeable solution through an interactive process. SHRM also argued that the ADA does not guarantee a candidate the accommodation she prefers. These are SHRM’s statements about its position, not a ruling on the law or the facts in this case. Read SHRM’s statement on the Torres litigation.
HR Dive’s account of SHRM’s court arguments says the organization contended Torres rejected alternatives it proposed and had not provided documentation connecting her disability to the role’s essential functions. Reporting on SHRM’s response to the court also described alternatives the organization said it offered: a continuous glucose monitoring system and insulin pump, breaks to check blood sugar, and permission to consume food or drink at or near her workstation. These are disputed litigation positions, not findings. HR Dive’s report on the trial and the parties’ positions provides further detail.
Trial status and key dates
The case docket scheduled a four-day jury trial. HR Dive reported that it began in Alexandria on October 6, 2026, after a federal judge had twice declined to dismiss the discrimination claim. The sources available confirm the trial’s start but do not establish a verdict, settlement, or other outcome.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 3, 2024 | SHRM offered Torres the Senior Specialist position, according to the case summary. |
| July 15, 2024 | The complaint says SHRM withdrew the offer after Torres requested an accommodation. |
| September 19, 2025 | The case summary says Torres received a notice of right to sue from the EEOC. |
| December 16, 2025 | Torres filed suit in the Eastern District of Virginia. |
| September 28, 2026 | SHRM published its statement about the litigation. |
| October 6, 2026 | The jury trial began in Alexandria, according to HR Dive. |
What the trial must resolve
The central dispute is not simply whether Torres requested a service dog. The case turns on contested facts about the request and the employment process: what information the parties exchanged, what alternatives SHRM proposed, whether those alternatives addressed Torres’s needs, and whether the requested accommodation would allow her to perform the position’s essential functions. The available sources do not resolve those questions.
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A separate SHRM discrimination verdict
SHRM’s current case should not be confused with a separate lawsuit by a former employee involving race discrimination and retaliation. Business Insider, republished by AOL, reported that a jury awarded $11.5 million in that case in 2025 and that SHRM was appealing. The amount and appeal are reported by that outlet; the case is distinct from Torres’s disability-accommodation claims and does not establish or predict their outcome. AOL’s republication of Business Insider’s report covers the separate case.
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