Margaret Katz v. Secretary of Health & Human Services

In 1978, Margaret Katz was working part time at the. California Institute of Technology (“Cal. Tech.”) when she had a nervous breakdown. She was hospitalized for her depression from January through November of 1978. The Social Security Administration (“Secretary”) determined that she was disabled as of Jan. 11, 1978, because of depressive neurosis and severe involutional melancholia. Katz becomes greatly distressed by noises. Her sensitivity to noise apparently stems from an automobile accident. She has difficulty tolerating certain noises, which interferes with her functioning. Her medical impairment for disability purposes has never been contested by the Secretary.

After Katz was released from the hospital in November of 1978, she returned to Cal. Tech, in February of 1979. When Katz resumed her part-time work at Cal. Tech., she reduced her hours from 30 per week to 20. She was responsible for preparing a weekly tea, sorting mail, taking care of three bulletin boards, supplying the student lounge, caring for the xerox machine, and preparing charts for astronomical observations. A form filled out by one of Katz’s employers, a professor at Cal. Tech., indicated that Katz…