TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – Clifton Taxi and Limousine Inc. has allegedly violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination Act (LAD), according to New Jersey Acting Attorney General Robert Lougy and the state’s Division on Civil Rights in a recent complaint in Superior Court.
According to the complaint, Nicole Perkins of Jamaica, N.Y., who is deaf, contacted Clifton Taxi three times using a relay service on Jan. 21, 2014, while waiting for a bus that was delayed in Clifton. The relay service twice tried to tell Clifton Taxi’s operator that that it was calling on behalf of the deaf Perkins and both times the Clifton Taxi operator allegedly hung up the phone. The third time, the operator said, “Please stop calling,” and then hung up again, according to Lougy’s office.
Lougy and the Division on Civil Rights will seek an injunction barring Clifton Taxi from refusing to communicate using a telecommunications relay service and refusing service based on a person’s disability. It will also seek an order requiring Clifton Taxi to create a written policy for accommodating deaf customers and an order for the company to train its management and employees in this area.