SETTLES FEDERAL DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS BROUGHT BY BLIND EMPLOYEE
Because it was accused of violating federal discrimination laws, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit against Papa John’s Pizza – an “international chain of pizza restaurants” -- based out of Louisville, Kentucky. Apparently, its Athens, Georgia location, denied a legally blind individual the ability to be accompanied by his service dog.
Since that conduct was believed to be violative of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). the EEOC filed suit (Civil Action No. Civil Action No. 3:23-CV-00030-TES) in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Athens Division, seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.
In addition to a $175,000 payment to the individual impacted by the company’s misdeeds, it agreed to modify its employment and training practices and to be subject to EEOC’s monitoring for a two-year period.
In a written statement, Karla Gilbride, the EEOC’s general counsel noted that, “Not allowing blind and visually impaired people to travel to and from work in the way that affords them confidence and independence is akin to telling sighted workers who rely on the flexibility and independence of driving that they may not travel to work by car …. We are glad that Papa John’s has agreed to provide training to its employees and hope that in the future, no other job applicant who uses a service dog will experience the discrimination that [the impacted individual] faced.”
You think they see what they did wrong here?