E-Bulletin: April 21, 2026

Maryland: Smiths Detection Inc., to Pay $100,000 in EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit

Smiths Detection, Inc., a leading manufacturer of threat detection equipment, will pay $100,000 and take other actions to settle an ADA lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to the lawsuit, a “team lead” employee with hearing loss in her left ear asked for equipment to protect her residual hearing from manufacturing equipment noise, and the employer responded by demoting her and assigning her to a quieter area, resulting in a reduction in pay.

Debra Lawrence, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office, said “Demoting an employee so as to avoid providing a reasonable accommodation does not discharge an employer’s obligation to provide a reasonable accommodation; it merely compounds the employer’s unlawful behavior.”

New York: FedEx to Pay $280,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Alleging Failure to Allow Work from Home as Reasonable Accommodation

Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Express), will pay $280,000 and take other actions to settle an ADA lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

In the lawsuit, the EEOC charged that FedEx failed to accommodate several dispatchers’ requests to continue working from home, effectively forcing at least one into retirement. The employee, and other disabled dispatchers, previously performed dispatcher duties remotely and successfully for nearly three years.

“This case serves as a reminder that employers should not take a blanket approach to telework accommodations and should take care to engage in individualized assessments,” said Kimberly A. Cruz, regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District Office.

Georgia: EEOC Sues International Logistics Company for Disability Discrimination

Exel Inc., doing business as DHL Supply Chain (USA), violated the ADA when it denied a request for a reasonable accommodation and then discharged the worker, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed against the company.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a temporary employee who worked for Exel through a staffing agency asked that she not be required to spend significant time in a cooler, due to her sickle cell disorder, which can be aggravated by extreme cold. She asked to be assigned to other available positions which did not require entering the cooler, or to work in the cooler for shorter periods of time. The employer informed her that the company does not accommodate medical restrictions, and then discharged her.

North Carolina: EEOC Sues Butterball for Violating the ADA

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against food processing company Butterball, LLC, charging the company with violating the ADA by refusing to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee diagnosed with breast cancer, and then firing her.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a long-term employee informed the company of her need for intermittent leave for chemotherapy treatments. The leave was never granted, the employee accrued “attendance points” for her cancer-related absences, and was then fired for violating the company’s attendance policy.

New Mexico: EEOC Sues St. Vincent Hospital for Disability Discrimination, Alleges Employer Refused to Reassign Injured Worker

St. Vincent Hospital, a medical facility operating Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center (CSV), violated the ADA by failing to accommodate and firing an employee with a disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, when a long-term employee experienced an injury, she was allowed to work “light duty” in a patient care position, but after several months she requested a reassignment to a vacant receptionist position that she could perform with her restrictions. Instead, the employer fired her, stating in a termination letter that she would not be eligible for rehire until she was “fully recovered” or had “a release for full duty.”

“Policies or practices requiring an employee with a disability to be fully recovered or to return to work at full duty levels violate the ADA,” said Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office. “Employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, absent undue hardship, including reassignment to an open position.”

Texas: EEOC Sues Kroger, Alleges New Management Revoked Reasonable Accommodation and Fired Worker with Disability

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Kroger Texas L.P. – Houston Division, charging the employer with violating the ADA when it failed to accommodate and then fired an employee because of her disability.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a self-service checkout attendant who experienced neuropathy had worked successfully for years using a walker, but new management told her she could not continue to work unless she could do so without an accommodation.

Indiana: EEOC Charges Disability Services Provider with Discriminating Against Deaf Job Applicant, Making Prohibited Inquiries, and Establishing Discriminatory Qualification Standards

Damar Services, Inc., a residential services provider for individuals with developmental disabilities, violated the ADA when it refused to hire a deaf applicant, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed against the company.

According to the lawsuit, when Damar Services learned of a job applicant’s deafness during a phone interview for a housekeeping position, the company said it could not accommodate his disability and rejected him. Additionally, Damar’s interview questions included prohibited medical inquires, and its qualification standards required applicants to hear and see within normal ranges and communicate verbally.

North Carolina: PepsiCo to Pay $270,000 in EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit

PepsiCo Beverage Sales, LLC, agreed to pay $270,000 and work with an accessibility consultant to settle an ADA lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, PepsiCo hired a blind employee but then fired him after concluding he could not be accommodated in order to access information in company computers, even though the state’s Department of Health and Human Resources offered to assist the company with identifying accessibility solutions.

Missouri: The Carlstar Group to Pay $300,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Alleging Denial of Employment Opportunities to Workers Legally Taking Prescription Medications

The Carlstar Group, LLC, will pay $300,000 and take other actions to settle an ADA lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Carlstar denied opportunities to employees when the company learned they were lawfully taking certain prescription medications, including narcotics and opioids, for the treatment of disabilities, even after the employees were medically cleared to perform their job duties.