A few weeks ago, we wrote about the ongoing drama between actor Charlie Sheen, Warner Bros., and CBS producer and "Two and a Half Men" creator Chuck Lorre. At that time, we theorized that Sheen would soon file employment lawsuits against Warner Bros. and Lorre, and wrote about possible legal tactics that Sheen and his attorneys could possibly take against the studio and producer. Soon after that writing, Sheen actually did file suit, alleging that his firing from the hit television show was illegal.

In his wrongful termination lawsuit, Sheen alleges that Warner Bros. and Lorre improperly and illegally fired him from "Two and a Half Men" based on their belief that Sheen was suffering from drug addiction and/or a mental illness. Therefore, Sheen claims, the firing was based on an "alleged disability", and as such, is illegal under California employment law.

California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) requires employers to accommodate an employee's disabilities instead of firing the employee because of them. In Warner Bros. termination letter to Sheen, they stated that he appeared to be "very ill", and that he was engaging in "dangerously self-destructive conduct". Sheen states that firing him for those reasons violates the FEHA.

However, Warner Bros. also fired Sheen because he allegedly showed up to work intoxicated or on drugs on multiple occasions, which harmed his performance on the show. If this is the case, Sheen may not have a case against his former employers: the FEHA states that "putting up with employees who use alcohol and drugs in the workplace is not considered a reasonable accommodation." Therefore, Warner Bros. had no obligation to accommodate Sheen's alcohol and drug use. However, Sheen has denied ever drinking or using drugs at work.

Source: Examiner, "Charlie Sheen files $100M lawsuit, says he was fired for alleged disability", Samantha Chung, 10 March 2011