Manitowoc, WI based Orion Energy Systems, Inc. violated federal law by firing an employee because of his disability, a mobility impairment, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed. In its lawsuit, the EEOC contends that Orion fired Scott Conant after he experienced a disabling condition that substantially limited his ability to walk and required that he use a wheel-chair. The EEOC said that Conant's termination followed his request for accommodations to allow him to enter and exit the Orion workplace, such as an automatic door opener

Lifecare Medical Services, Inc. will pay $72,500 and provide other relief in order to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In its lawsuit, the EEOC charged that Lifecare Medical Services, Inc., located in Akron, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it refused to provide reasonable accommodation to an EMT-paramedic, who has multiple sclerosis

A federal judge has denied a motion to dismiss a claim of disability harassment against Mont Brook, Inc., doing business as The Cleaning Authority of Plainfield, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In its complaint, the EEOC charged that the house cleaning company violated federal civil rights laws by harassing an employee with a disability. The EEOC said the company's president referred to an employee who walks with an abnormal gait as a result of a stroke as "a cripple," mockingly imitated the way she walks, and told her that she was being a "hysterical basket case" when she objected to that treatment.

A federal judge entered a final judgment against American Tool & Mold, LLC (ATM), in a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), The. Judge awarded $150,000 in damages and provided for extensive injunctive relief to remedy the discrimination. The judgment follows U.S. Federal District Judge Mary S. Scriven's April 17 order ruling in favor of the EEOC because the Clearwater, Fla.-based company violated federal disability discrimination law by withdrawing a job offer because of the applicant's old back injury

Norfolk Southern Railway Company will pay $110,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Norfolk Southern violated federal law by medically disqualifying a track maintenance worker because of degenerative disc disease, a spine condition, without doing an individualized assessment of whether he could perform the essential functions of his job.

AutoZone, Inc. violated federal law when it implemented a nationwide attendance policy that failed to accommodate certain disability-related absences, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in its fourth disability lawsuit in recent years against the auto parts retailer. According to the EEOC's complaint, from 2009 till at least 2011, AutoZone assessed employees nationwide "points" for absences, without permitting any general exception for disability-related absences

Christian Care Center will pay $90,000 and furnish other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In its lawsuit, the EEOC charged that Christian Care Center violated federal law by firing an employee because the individual suffers from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The EEOC's suit contended that the employee worked for Christian Care Center as a licensed practical nurse for more than a month. When the nursing home learned that the employee was HIV positive, the employee was immediately discharged

The Settlement agreement resolves a complaint filed with the Justice Department under title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Complainant alleged that Gwinnett College forced the Complainant to withdraw from the Gwinnett College Medical Assistant Program on the basis of HIV. As part of the settlement the college with develop a non-discrimination policy, conduct yearly training for staff on title III of the ADA and pay the Complainant $19,257.00.

The Justice Department filed a joint motion for entry of a consent decree to resolve allegations that the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) engaged in widespread and systemic discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the proposed consent decree, LSAC will pay $7.73 million in penalties and damages to compensate over 6,000 individuals nationwide who applied for testing accommodations on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) over the past five years. The decree also requires comprehensive reforms to LSAC's policies and ends its practice of "flagging," or annotating, LSAT score reports for test takers with disabilities who receive extended time as an accommodation. These reforms will impact tens of thousands of test takers with disabilities for years to come.

The Department of Justice reached a settlement agreement resolving a complaint filed under title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The complaint alleged that ALTAGRACIA ROUMOU had refused to take a passenger that was blind and who was being accompanied by his service animal. As part of the settlement agreement ROUMOU will transport persons with disabilities that are being accompanied by a service animal.

This situation would fall under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which is enforced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Act prohibits landlords from discriminating based on disability, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, and familial status. The FHA requires covered housing providers to make reasonable accommodations to modify or provide an exception to a "no pets" rule or policy to permit a person with a disability to live with and use an assistance animal in all areas of the premises where persons are normally allowed to go unless doing so would impose an undue financial and administrative burden or would fundamentally alter the nature of the housing provider's services.

A request may also be denied if: (1) the specific assistance animal in question poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be reduced or eliminated by another reasonable accommodation, or (2) the specific assistance animal in question would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others that cannot be reduced or eliminated by another reasonable accommodation. Breed, size, and weight limitations may not be applied to an assistance animal.

A determination that an assistance animal poses a direct threat of harm to others or would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others must be based on an individualized assessment that relies on objective evidence about the specific animal's actual conduct and not on mere speculation or fear about the types of harm or damage an animal may cause and not on evidence about harm or damage that other animals have caused.

Conditions and restrictions that housing providers apply to pets may not be applied to assistance animals. For example, while housing providers may require applicants or residents to pay a pet deposit, they may not require applicants and residents to pay a deposit for an assistance animal.

Housing providers may ask individuals who have disabilities that are not readily apparent or known to the provider to submit reliable documentation of a disability and their disability-related need for an assistance animal. If the disability is readily apparent or known but the disability-related need for the assistance animal is not, the housing provider may ask the individual to provide documentation of the disability-related need for an assistance animal.

For additional information please contact the Great Lakes ADA Center at (800) 949-4232 (V/TTY) or by completing the online form: http://adagreatlakes.com/WebForms/ContactUs/>

For more information please call 800-949-4232 (Voice/TTY) or Online via Contact Us form.