EEOC Sues Majestic Developers for Disability Discrimination

HOUSTON — Majestic Developers, LLC, a real estate developer in Sugar Land, Texas, violated federal law when it failed to accommodate and fired a legally blind employee on his first day of work, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, in late 2024, Majestic Developers offered an engineering position to an applicant to design drainage systems for their ongoing real estate development projects in the Houston area. The applicant had a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering and was well qualified for the position. During the hiring process, the applicant specifically asked the hiring manager if the company would provide specific computer equipment, and he was assured it would. He accepted the job offer from Majestic Developers and agreed to a start date. Based on the job offer, he relocated his family from Georgia to Texas.

The lawsuit alleges that Majestic Developers fired the employee on his first day of work when he inquired about the computer equipment he needed and discussed his need for the ability to close his blinds to reduce light and glare in his office. The hiring manager, after conferring with a senior manager, sent the employee home and informed him that he was terminated. Following the termination, the senior manager emailed the recruiter who helped identify the employee as a candidate and informed him that the company would not be able to accommodate the employee, although his accommodations had been previously accepted by the hiring manager.

“The EEOC is fully committed to ensuring that employers provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees,” said Jeremy Crosbie, the deputy director for the EEOC’s Houston District. “Federal law ensures that applicants and employees are provided reasonable accommodation, absent undue hardship, and not discharged due to their disabilities.”

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on an applicant or employee’s disability. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Majestic Developers, LLC, Case No. 4:26-cv-08387) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

EEOC Trial Attorney Lloyd van Oostenrijk said, “Workers with disabilities are entitled to equal opportunity in the workplace, and employers must take their obligations under the law seriously. The EEOC will continue to hold employers accountable when they unlawfully deny reasonable accommodations or terminate employees because of their disabilities.”

The EEOC is seeking back pay and compensatory damages for the employee. In addition, the EEOC is seeking permanent injunctive relief to correct and prevent future disability discrimination by Majestic Developers. The EEOC is also seeking an order requiring the company to institute and carry out policies, practices, and programs which govern the reasonable accommodation process, and which eradicate the effects of Majestic Developers’ past hiring practices.

For more information on disability discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination. For information on accommodations, please visit: https://askjan.org/.

The EEOC’s Houston District Office has jurisdiction over Louisiana and the following counties in Texas: Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Lavaca, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Washington and Wharton.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employees for violations of federal laws prohibiting discrimination. For public sector employees, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination efforts. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.