Court says Chicagoan didn't prove voltage caused disorder

CHICAGO (AP) - A court in Chicago has upheld the dismissal of a hotel clerk's lawsuit claiming he was wrongly fired because he suffered mental problems caused by electromagnetism around the hotel.

The 7th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday George Hirmiz didn't show the Travelodge Hotel violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by firing him for sleeping in a lobby while a fight broke out among several guests. It said the Chicago man also didn't prove exposure to high levels of electromagnetism left him disabled.

Judge Richard Posner said in his written opinion that there's debate about whether sensitivity to electromagnetic voltage is a physical or psychological disorder. He added that "a great deal of psychological distress is trivial," like "fear of black cats," and doesn't necessarily qualify as a disorder.