ALLIANCE GROUND INT. ALLEGEDLY DENIED DEAF APPLICANT A JOB
According to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Alliance Ground International, LLC, denied a mail handler position to an applicant because he was deaf.
Apparently, even though the individual was qualified for the slot, and had prior warehouse experience (and forklift driver certification), Alliance refused to consider him because they were of the view that those who are deaf are “incapable of working safely in a warehouse setting.”
Since such conduct was believed to violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Civil Action No. 1:23-cv-14302), seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.
In a written statement, Greg Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, noted, “Deaf individuals can and do achieve success in a wide range of workplace settings, including warehouses …. The ADA does not permit employers to make hiring decisions on the basis of outdated and incorrect assumptions about what disabled people can and cannot do. Each applicant must be considered on their own merits, with reasonable accommodation of any disability.”
Do you think they’ll listen to reason now?
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