This Law Firm Publication by Fisher & Phillips LLP discusses the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's (SJC) July 19, 2013 decision in Flagg v. Alimed, Inc. In this case, the court ruled that the Massachusetts anti-discrimination statute prohibits "associational discrimination," which is discrimination against an employee based on the handicap of a person associated with the employee. Although associational discrimination has long been recognized by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) and is specifically included in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this is the first time it has been recognized by Massachusetts state courts.