INDIANAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced May 30 that St. Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center Inc. will pay $15,000 and furnish additional relief after allegations of disability discrimination.
According to allegations, an employee named Latoya Moore needed lifting restrictions because of a disability, and when St. Vincent learned that those restrictions were needed for an indefinite period of time, the company forced her to take leave at reduced pay. Then, instead of transferring her to another vacant position within the company that she was qualified for, St. Vincent allegedly fired her. Purported conduct of this nature violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which bans employers from discriminating against their employees due to disabilities.
"This lawsuit demonstrates that employers should be aware of their obligation to provide a transfer as a reasonable accommodation for employees who are qualified individuals with disabilities," said EEOC regional attorney Kenneth Bird in a statement.
EEOC's Indianapolis District Office oversees agency operations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and western Ohio, with field offices in Louisville, Cincinnati, and Detroit.