MIAMI (Legal Newsline) — A national valet and parking services company has agreed to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), alleging the company refused to hire a deaf valet applicant due to her disability.
According to a Feb. 27 EEOC release, USA Parking Services Inc. turned away a deaf applicant who applied for a valet attendant position without conducting an individualized assessment of the applicant's abilities.
"The EEOC will continue to fight for deaf job applicants' rights under the ADA to be provided an interpreter when they are interviewed for employment," EEOC Miami District Office regional attorney Robert Weisberg said in a statement. "Deaf individuals too often face discrimination at the interview stage, which denies them even the opportunity to be considered for employment."
USA Parking Services will pay $150,000 in monetary relief as part of the settlement, according to the EEOC. In addition, the company has agreed to recruit deaf and hearing-impaired applicants as well as change the valet job qualifications to allow anyone who can communicate with customers, verbally or in writing, to perform the job, the EEOC said.