BALTIMORE – Two staffing agencies will pay $35,000 and provide equitable relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The EEOC charged that Axiom Staffing Group, Inc., and Axiom Staffing Group of Virginia, Inc., refused to place Deborah Reynolds through their Hagerstown, Md. facility because of her back impairment, even though Reynolds had years of experience performing clerical and customer service duties. The EEOC said that hiring officials made derogatory comments about her impairment, such as stating that Reynolds would be “too much of a liability because of her back.”
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on disability. The ADA also requires employers to reasonably accommodate an individual’s disability unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer.
In addition to the monetary relief to Reynolds, the consent decree settling the lawsuit enjoins Axiom Staffing Group of Virginia from engaging in any employment practice which discriminates on the basis of disability. Axiom Staffing Group of Virginia will provide additional training on the requirements of the ADA and post a notice regarding the resolution of the lawsuit. Defendants denied liability in the consent decree.
The EEOC attempted to reach a voluntary settlement before it filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, Civil Action No. WDQ-09-2567.
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