Company Fired Employee Because He Had Glaucoma
HOUSTON – Brock Services, LLC, has agreed to pay $35,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
According to the EEOC, Brock Services forced an employee to take three eye examinations after learning he had a vision impairment related to glaucoma in one eye. Despite his glaucoma, the eight-year employee could perform the essential functions of his position. After the third exam, Brock Services fired the employee.
Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which prohibits discrimination based on an employee’s disability. The EEOC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division (Civil Action No. 1:19 cv 00212) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its voluntary conciliation process.
“The EEOC will continue to ensure employers understand their assumptions about an individual’s disability should play no role in their workplace decisions,” said Rudy Sustaita, the EEOC’s regional attorney in Houston.
The 15 month consent decree prohibits Brock Services from engaging in similar discriminatory conduct in the future. The company has also agreed to conduct disability discrimination training programs for managerial employees.
The EEOC’s Houston District Office has jurisdiction over parts of East Texas and all of Louisiana.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employ-ment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.
