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Federal Court Approves Largest Monetary Amount Ever in Single EEOC ADA Suit; Employees Allegedly Terminated Based on Inflexible Workers' Compensation Leave Exhaustion Policy

CHICAGO - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the entry of a record-setting consent decree resolving a class lawsuit against Sears, Roebuck and Co. (Sears) under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) for $6.2 million and significant remedial relief.

The

Woman Fired for Observing Her Sabbath, Federal Agency Charges

DALLAS — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it has filed an employment discrimination suit against Cinram Wireless, L.L.C., a Fort Worth-based CD and DVD manufacturer, for failing to accommodate an employee's schedule so that she could observe her Sabbath, and then firing her. 

According to the EEOC's suit, Cinram Wireless, L.L.C. initially allowed Eunice Arredondo, a

Mineworker Forced To Work In Areas Of The Mine Which Damaged His Hearing Aids, EEOC Charges

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Jim Walter Resources, the world's largest producer of Blue Creek coal, violated federal law by refusing to grant a reasonable accommodation to a deaf miner and subjecting him to a hostile working environment because of his disability, according to a lawsuit filed today by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The EEOC suit seeks relief

Home Décor Retailer Refused to Hire Qualified Applicants Because of Hearing Impairments, Federal Agency Charged

AUSTIN, Texas – Garden Ridge Corporation, a Houston-based home décor retail company with stores nationwide, violated federal law by discriminating against hearing-impaired applicants at its Austin store, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today. 

According to the EEOC's suit, Garden Ridge failed to hire

Presbyterian Village Took Away Accommodation, Retaliated Against Dietary Aide With Physical and Developmental Impairments, Agency Claim

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –  Presbyterian Village Inc., a retirement community in Little Rock, Ark.,  violated federal law when it refused to accommodate and then reduced the hours  of a dietary aide because of his disabilities, the U.S. Equal Employment  Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today in U.S. District  Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Operating Room Scrub Technician Removed From Position Due to Hearing Impairment, Federal Agency Charges

ST. LOUIS -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today filed suit against St. John Health System, Inc., charging that the Tulsa, Okla., hospital violated federal law by removing an employee from her position as a scrub technician and then firing her because of her hearing impairment. 

In its lawsuit, the EEOC charges that in March 2006 St. John Health

Aaron Rents Franchisee Fired Jehovah's Witness for Religious Objection to 'Red Shirt Fridays,' Federal Agency Charges

DALLAS – Denton, Texas-based Alliance Rental Center, L.P., which operates an Aaron Rents franchise in Bridgeport, Texas, violated federal law by firing a product technician when he declined to participate in the company's "Red Shirt Friday" dress code, a store practice intended to show support for the U.S. military, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Employee With Known Physical Limitations Denied Reasonable Accommodation, Federal Agency Charges

INDIANAPOLIS – A group of companies which operate the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Columbus, Ind., unlawfully discriminated against an employee and fired him because of his disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

According to the EEOC's suit (Civil Action No. 1:09-cv-1169-LJM-DML), filed in U.S. District Court for the

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.– National clothing retail giant Abercrombie & Fitch, doing business as Abercrombie Kids, allegedly discriminated against a 17-year-old Muslim by refusing to hire her because she wore a hijab, or head scarf, in observance of her sincerely held religious beliefs, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in discrimination lawsuit filed today in federal court. 

According to the EEOC's suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern

New Regulations Conform to Changes Made by ADA Amendments Act of 2008

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) revising its regulations to provide that an individual seeking protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establish that he or she has a disability consistent with the original, expansive intent of Congress when it enacted the ADA in 1990.  The NPRM, approved

Agency Charges That Community Hospital Denied Accommodations and Fired Clerk for Genetic Disorder and Stroke-Related Impairments

BALTIMORE – A Towson, Md., regional community hospital violated federal law when it fired a clerk because he had neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder, and stroke-related impairments, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

In its suit, the EEOC said that since at least May 2006 and continuing to the present, the Greater Baltimore

Federal Agency Charged Hotel Fired Employee for Refusing to Work on Her Sabbath

MEMPHIS – Generation Properties II, LLC, doing business as  Staybridge Suites, a Research Triangle Park, N.C., based hotel chain, will pay  $27,500 to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal  Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

The  EEOC’s lawsuit (Civil Action No. 2:08-cv-02420, filed in U.S. District Court  for the Western

Ambulance Service Fired Jehovah's Witness Employee for Refusing to Participate in Halloween Carnival, Federal Agency Charges

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – A Bowman, S.C.-based ambulance service illegally fired an emergency medical technician, who is a Jehovah's Witness, for refusing to participate in a Halloween carnival, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a religious discrimination lawsuit it filed today.

According to the EEOC's suit (Civil Action No. 5:09-cv-02391 in U.S. District Court

Federal Agency Says 'One Year and You're Out' and 'No Accommodation, No Restrictions' Rules Violate Americans With Disabilities Act

CHICAGO – Jewel-Osco, an operating unit of  national grocery giant Supervalu, Inc., has been violating federal  anti-discrimination law by its leave and disability policies, the U.S. Equal  Employ­ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed  today.

According to the EEOC’s suit,  Jewel-Osco is alleged to have refused to allow qualified employees with  disabilities who

Company Denied Job Accommodation to Disabled Employee And Required Improper Medical Examinations of All New Hires, Federal Agency Says

MILWAUKEE – The largest  metal food can supplier in North America, Silgan Containers Manufacturing  Corporation, violated federal law by discriminating against a disabled employee  at its plant in Oconomowoc,  Wis., the U.S. Equal Employment  Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

The  agency’s administrative investigation which preceded the lawsuit revealed that since  early

CHICAGO – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today filed a disability discrimination lawsuit in federal court here charging that Jewel-Osco, an operating unit of national grocery giant Supevalu, Inc., refused to accommodate a pharmacy worker with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as COPD, and severe allergic reactions to cosmetic fragrances.

The suit, filed under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), alleges

EEOC Said Applicant Denied Employment as Truck Driver Because of Prosthetic Leg

JACKSON, Miss. -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the settlement of a disability discrimination lawsuit against KLLM Transport Services, Inc. (KLLM) for $56,500 and remedial relief on behalf of a qualified truck driver who was rejected for a job due to his prosthetic leg.

KLLM is a trucking company headquartered in Jackson, Miss

EEOC Says Class of Disabled Employees Fired After Taking Medical Leaves of Absence

CHICAGO – In a major class lawsuit filed here in federal court, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged that Atlanta-based United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS), the world's largest package delivery company, violated federal law by rejecting an extension of medical leave as a reasonable accommodation for its employees with disabilities.

The EEOC's administrative investigation, conducted prior to filing the lawsuit

Secretary in Wheelchair Fired for Projecting Wrong Image, EEOC Charges

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today filed a discrimination lawsuit under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) against Newberg, Ore.-based funeral services company S.C.C. Inc. for refusing to provide a reasonable accommodation to a secretary with a prosthetic leg and instead firing her because she needed to use a wheelchair.

According to the EEOC's suit, Barbara Jackson successfully worked at

Lucedale Sonic Fired Employee Because She'd Had Seizure at Home, Federal Agency Charged

LUCEDALE, Miss. – The franchisee of the Sonic Drive-In Restaurant in Lucedale, Miss., will pay $22,000 in compensatory damages and furnish remedial relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.  The EEOC had charged that Ted Riley Corporation unlawfully fired an employee after learning she had experienced an epileptic seizure

Auto Parts Company Unlawfully Fired Worker Because His Religion Forbids Saliva Test, Federal Agency Charged

GREENSBORO, N.C. – GKN Driveline North America, Inc., a Sanford, N.C.-based automotive components company, violated federal law by failing to accommodate an employee's religious beliefs and by firing him because of his religion, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

According to the EEOC's

EEOC Says Retail Giant Failed to Reasonably Accommodate Employee With Intellectual Disability and Cerebral Palsy

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Equal  Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today filed a discrimination lawsuit  against national retailer Target Stores, Inc. for unlawfully denying a reasonable  accommodation to an employee with multiple disability-based impairments and  substantially reducing his work hours due to the medical conditions. The disabled worker could not effectively  communicate with others without the assistance of a job

SEATTLE — Payday lending chain Cottonwood Financial, Ltd.,  which does business as The Cash Store, refused to accommodate a manager with  bipolar disorder at its store in Walla    Walla, Wash., and  unlawfully fired him due to his disability, the U.S. Equal Employment  Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

The EEOC’s suit  (EEOC v. Cottonwood Financial, Ltd., CV-09-5073-EFS)  charged that the company refused to accommodate store manager Sean Reilly’s need

Go-Kart Company Refused to Discuss Accommodation for Employee's Cystic Fibrosis, Federal Agency Charged

SEATTLE – K1 Speed, Inc., a Carlsbad, Calif.-based go-kart racing operation, will provide $50,000 and other relief to settle a federal lawsuit charging that the company refused to accommodate an employee with cystic fibrosis and fired him from its facility in Redmond, Wash., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.