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The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is facing a federal jury trial over Fiona Torres’s allegation that it withdrew a job offer after she requested permission to bring her diabetes-alert service dog to work. The trial began October 6, 2026, in Alexandria, Virginia. Torres’s claims remain contested, and the available reporting does not establish a verdict.

Why is SHRM going to court?

Torres sued SHRM in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on December 16, 2025. The case, Torres v. Society for Human Resource Management, No. 1:25-cv-02360, asserts claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Virginia Human Rights Act, including disability discrimination and failure to accommodate. The case summary identifies September 19, 2025, as the date Torres received an EEOC notice of right to sue.

According to the complaint, SHRM offered Torres a Senior Specialist position in its Product Management Department in Alexandria on June 3, 2024. She says she requested an accommodation to bring her trained service dog, which alerts her to dangerous blood glucose changes associated with Type 1 diabetes. The complaint alleges SHRM denied the request and rescinded the offer on July 15, 2024. These are allegations, not findings by the court.

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What does each side say about the accommodation?

Torres’s account

Torres says the dog helps alert her to dangerous changes in blood glucose. 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 account is an allegation in the complaint, not an independently verified medical statistic or a court finding. Speaking through her attorney in an email, Torres said, “I was ready and able to work,” according to Business Insider reporting republished by AOL.

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SHRM’s response

In a September 28, 2026, public statement, SHRM said it did not simply reject the request, but tried to understand Torres’s needs and asked her to consult her physician about whether alternatives were available. SHRM described its approach as “a genuine good-faith attempt to find a mutually agreeable solution through an interactive process — and indeed an acceptance of her disability.” That is SHRM’s characterization of its conduct, not a court ruling.

HR Dive reported that SHRM argued in seeking summary judgment that Torres rejected alternatives and had not provided documentation linking her disability to the role’s essential functions. In its January court response, SHRM reportedly listed alternatives it said it offered: a continuous glucose monitoring system and insulin pump, breaks to check blood sugar, and permission to keep food or drink at or near her workstation. These are SHRM’s disputed litigation positions.

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SHRM also stated that “the ADA does not entitle any candidate or employee to his or her preferred accommodation, and participation in an accommodation process does not guarantee control over its outcome.” This statement reflects SHRM’s position; it is not an adjudicated interpretation of the ADA in Torres’s case.

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What is established about the trial?

The court scheduled a four-day jury trial, which HR Dive reported began in Alexandria on October 6, 2026. HR Dive also reported that a federal judge had twice declined to dismiss the discrimination claim. The sources available establish the trial’s start, but do not confirm a verdict or other outcome.

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The central disputed issues include what accommodation Torres requested, what alternatives SHRM proposed, what information the parties exchanged during the accommodation process, and whether the requested accommodation would allow her to perform the position’s essential functions. The sources do not resolve those factual questions.

Timeline of the SHRM service-dog case

  • June 3, 2024: SHRM offered Torres a Senior Specialist position, according to the case summary.
  • July 15, 2024: The complaint says SHRM rescinded the offer after Torres requested an accommodation.
  • September 19, 2025: Torres received an EEOC notice of right to sue, according to the case summary.
  • December 16, 2025: Torres filed suit in the Eastern District of Virginia.
  • September 28, 2026: SHRM issued a public statement about the litigation.
  • October 6, 2026: The scheduled jury trial began in Alexandria, according to HR Dive.
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How this differs from SHRM’s other discrimination case

A separate case involving a former SHRM employee concerned race discrimination and retaliation, not Torres’s disability-accommodation allegations. Business Insider, republished by AOL, reported on October 5, 2026, that SHRM had received an $11.5 million jury verdict in that case in 2025 and was appealing it. That reported verdict is not evidence of the outcome in Torres’s case.

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