COMPANY’S "STANDING ONLY" POLICIES DIDN’T TRUMP THE ADA
A boutique New York City hotel, known as the Library Hotel, has agreed to settle a discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for $42,000.
Apparently, an employee, who was required to stand, requested the use of a chair or stool as an accommodation for their disability, but was wrongfully denied, and eventually forced to resign due to a continuing decline in that individual’s health.
Because such conduct was believed to violate the Americans with Disability Act, the EEOC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (EEOC v. 299 Madison Ave. LLC d/b/a Library Hotel, Civil Action No. 1:23-cv-08306) seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.
In addition to the monetary payment to the impacted individual, the company agreed to modify its employment related policies and practices and will no longer implement a “standing only” policy.
In a written statement, EEOC Regional Attorney Jeffrey Burstein noted that, “This case should serve as a stern warning to employers …. A company’s internal policy does not trump a company’s obligations under the ADA.”
Looks like someone was reading the wrong books there ….