The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's summary judgment dismissing all discrimination claims brought by former MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center employee Michelle Siebrecht in a decision filed Jan. 5, 2026.

Siebrecht, who worked as a physician assistant in the emergency room at Mercy's facility in Hawarden, Iowa, alleged her former employer violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Iowa Civil Rights Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act through disability discrimination and retaliation for taking FMLA leave.

The three-judge panel, consisting of Circuit Judges Smith, Arnold, and Shepherd, unanimously upheld the lower court's ruling in favor of Mercy Health Services Iowa Corp., doing business as MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center.

Circuit Judge Smith wrote the opinion for the court, affirming the district court's grant of summary judgment on all claims. The case originated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.