A Miami-based air cargo company will pay $70,000 to settle a federal lawsuit after allegedly refusing to hire a qualified deaf job applicant because of his disability.
Alliance Ground International, Inc. (AGI) agreed to the settlement after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a disability discrimination lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois.
According to the EEOC, AGI rejected a deaf applicant for a mail agent position at its O’Hare-area warehouse despite his extensive relevant work experience and excellent safety record. The company allegedly failed to consider any reasonable workplace accommodations for the applicant.
“Deaf Americans have proven time and time again that they are fully capable of meeting the highest standards of workplace professionalism and safety,” said Greg Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District Office. “Unfortunately, misinformed assumptions about Deaf Americans remain all too common, resulting in violations of the ADA that are harmful both to Deaf workers individually and to the U.S. economy as a whole.”
Settlement requires procedural changes
The consent decree resolving the lawsuit requires AGI to implement several corrective measures in addition to the monetary compensation. The company must provide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) training to employees involved in hiring and establish procedures for addressing disability accommodation requests effectively.
AGI will also be required to report any disability discrimination complaints to the EEOC during the two-year duration of the decree.
“Too often, Deaf Americans face barriers to full participation in the workforce. This settlement demonstrates the EEOC’s commitment to breaking down those barriers and ensuring that Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals are afforded equal employment opportunities,” said Amrith Aakre, district director of the EEOC’s Chicago District.
The lawsuit was filed after attempts to resolve the matter through the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation process failed.
Under the ADA, employers are prohibited from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities and are required to provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so would impose an undue hardship.
