A North Carolina publishing company will pay more than $100,000 to settle federal charges that it discriminated against a deaf job applicant by refusing to provide a sign language interpreter for an interview.
Champion Media LLC agreed to pay $102,500 and provide additional relief to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency announced today.
The case centers on a deaf applicant who sought a job at Champion Media’s printing facility in Lumberton, North Carolina. After an initial phone conversation using a video relay service, the applicant was selected for an in-person interview and met the job requirements, according to the EEOC.
When the applicant requested a sign language interpreter as an accommodation for the interview, Champion Media canceled the meeting and did not hire the person for the position, the EEOC said.
Federal lawsuit follows failed settlement talks
The conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits companies from refusing to hire individuals because of a disability and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to job applicants during the hiring process, absent undue hardship.
The EEOC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina after attempting to reach a settlement through its administrative process. The case is titled EEOC v. Champion Media, LLC d/b/a The Robesonian, Case No. 7:24-cv-00707.
Under the three-year consent decree, Champion Media must conduct annual training sessions, post employee notices about disability rights, and submit periodic compliance reports to the EEOC.
EEOC officials stress hiring process protections
“Under the ADA, the mandate that employers provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities applies to job applicants as well as to existing employees,” said Melinda C. Dugas, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District. “This includes providing individuals with disabilities access to all aspects of the hiring process.”
Samuel Williams, trial attorney in the EEOC’s Raleigh Area Office, said the agency will pursue relief for discrimination victims. “Individuals with disabilities have a right to work and the EEOC will aggressively pursue all appropriate avenues of relief for victims of discrimination,” Williams said.
The EEOC’s Charlotte District Office oversees North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The agency investigates and litigates against private sector employers for violations of federal employment discrimination laws.
