A Florida senior living facility must pay more than $405,000 to a veteran after a federal jury found the company discriminated against her for having post-traumatic stress disorder, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced.
The Tampa jury unanimously determined that The Princess Martha in St. Petersburg, along with operating companies TJM Property Management and TJM Properties Inc., violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by revoking a job offer after the applicant disclosed her PTSD and medication that would cause a drug test to fail.
According to evidence presented at trial, the veteran repeatedly attempted to provide documentation of her legally prescribed medications, but the facility made no attempts to accommodate her. A management official admitted during proceedings that the company submitted false information to the EEOC during its investigation.
The jury awarded $5,083 in back pay, $50,000 in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.
“The EEOC is committed to protecting the workplace accommodation rights of disabled veterans, including those who may be suffering from PTSD,” said EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas.
Beatriz Andre, assistant regional attorney of the EEOC’s Miami District Office, said the verdict “sent a strong message to employers to comply with the ADA’s requirement to provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees.”
The case (EEOC v. Princess Martha, LLC, et al., Civil Action No 8:22-cv-2181-CEH-TGW) was filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida after conciliation attempts failed.
EEOC Trial Attorney and Lead Counsel Lucas Michelen emphasized the importance of training management and hiring officials on ADA requirements, while Tampa Field Office Director Tamra Schweiberger noted the agency’s mission to enforce disability discrimination laws through various means.
The EEOC’s Miami District Office oversees enforcement in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as part of the agency’s nationwide effort to address employment discrimination.
