ADA in the News August 9, 2022

EEOC Sues Broadleaf and Conduent for Disability Discrimination

Conduent State and Local Solutions, Inc., a business services provider that operates the New York E-ZPass toll collection system, and Broadleaf Results, an employment agency, violated federal law when they both failed to accommodate a customer service representative’s disability and then fired her, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the employee was placed by Broadleaf to work as a customer service representative at Conduent’s E-ZPass Customer Service Center in Staten Island, N.Y. The employee notified Broadleaf and Conduent supervisors that she was having difficulties hearing customer calls and requested an accommodation for her hearing-related impairment. Despite being told that her disability could be accommodated, neither employer initiated the process necessary to identify a suitable accommodation for her disability. The employee requested a meeting with management to discuss the status of her accommodation request. However, the employee was told by Broadleaf management, “If you cannot hear, then you can’t do the job,” and was terminated, effective immediately. Following the employee’s termin­ation, Conduent made no efforts to investigate whether this discharge was appropriate.

 

Gas Field Specialists to Pay $184,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Case

Gas Field Specialists, Inc. (GFS), a Potter County, Pennsylvania-based natural gas well service company, will pay $184,000 and provide significant injunctive and other non-monetary relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, an employee who had been with the company for 15 years was laid off and then terminated based on a disability or record of disability. The EEOC contended that GFS fired the employee because he had a history of cancer. The suit further alleges that an owner of the company told the employee that the company didn’t want him to get sick with COVID-19 and had to lay off anyone with health issues during the COVID pandemic.

 

U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement with City of Denver and Concert Promoters Relating to Overcharging for Wheelchair-Accessible Seating at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced today that the United States has resolved a discrimination claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against the City and County of Denver and concert promoters Live Nation, AEG, and PBS12.

The Department of Justice received a complaint that wheelchair-accessible seats for concerts held at Red Rocks Amphitheatre were more expensive than tickets for non-accessible seats. The U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated the complaint and alleged that the City and County of Denver, which owns Red Rocks, and concert promoters, which contracted with Denver to host events, violated the ADA by charging more for wheelchair-accessible seats than was allowed under ADA regulations.

There are 121 wheelchair-accessible seats available for each Red Rocks event. The United States alleged that, between 2018 and 2020, concertgoers who used wheelchairs, and their guests, were charged $47,950.90 more for those seats than was permitted by ADA regulations.

 

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