ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a lawsuit Oct. 11 against the Atlanta office of Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc. (JLL), a commercial real estate and investment management company, for allegations of disability discrimination.
According to the EEOC, the company rescinded a job offer in April 2016 after the applicant disclosed she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The applicant allegedly requested to be allowed to work remotely one day per week, which would allow her to seek medical assistance for her PTSD. JLL rescinded the offer despite purportedly informing the applicant multiple times during the interview process that it supported flexible work arrangements.
“An employer cannot refuse to hire an employee because that person has a disability or because she sought a reasonable accommodation," said Bernice Williams-Kimbrough, director of the EEOC Atlanta District Office. "The employee here disclosed her disability but, instead of accommodating her, the employer rescinded its job offer. This is unlawful, and the EEOC is here to stand up for the victims of such practices."
The EEOC seeks back pay and compensatory and punitive damages for the applicant, plus injunctive relief against JLL to prevent future discrimination.
"The disclosure of a disability by an employee or applicant requires a certain level of trust that the employer will not use it against her,” said Antonette Sewell, regional attorney for the Atlanta District Office. “Unfortunately, that is precisely what happened in this case. This is why the law protects people with disabilities who exercise their legal rights."