Salvation Army Refused To Hire Man With Intellectual Disability: Agrees To Pay $55,000
By Richard Cohen |
“Say it ain’t so! Not the Salvation Army!” This was the reaction of a lot of blog readers in late 2016 when I reported that the EEOC had just sued a Salvation Army thrift store in Wasilla, Alaska (I think I can see it from my roof!), for allegedly refusing to hire an otherwise qualified young man…
Read More You’re Fired If You Go To Ghana! You Could Catch Ebola!
By Richard Cohen |
This post is about Ebola – remember the fear? the panic?? Last year the EEOC sued a Tampa company under the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”) for, as one EEOC official said, “Making employment decisions based on perceptions of disability [which] clearly violates federal civil rights law.” What was this case about? “Regarded As” Disability Firing an…
Read More “Only The Hearing Impaired (And Some Doctors) Actually Believe Hearing Impairment Is A Disability"
By Richard Cohen |
These are the words of a hearing-impaired lawyer. So — is hearing-impairment a disability? Deafness, or hearing impairment, as a disability, and the requirement of “reasonable accommodations,” is in the news because of a newly announced settlement of an Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) lawsuit brought by the EEOC against the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle. It was alleged…
Read More Employment Decisions Based Upon Perceptions Of Disability Violates The ADA
By Richard Cohen |
Firing an employee if you perceive that he/she is disabled is just as violative of the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”) as if he/she actually had a disability. A Tampa company was just sued by the EEOC under the ADA for, as one EEOC official said, “Making employment decisions based on perceptions of disability [which] clearly…
Read More Veteran Refused Job Because Of Service Dog Needed For His PTSD
By Richard Cohen |
We saw a case like this only a few months ago – a military veteran was denied employment as a truck driver in Texas based upon a disability which was controlled by medication. Why? Because it was against “company policy.” A newly filed suit by the EEOC in Florida similarly alleges that a trucking company…
Read More Veteran Denied Job Because Of Company Medication Policy
By Richard Cohen |
One more time the Takeaway comes first: Under the ADA you cannot discriminate against applicants or employees based upon a disability or perceived disability, and you must interact with the applicant or employee to determine if the person can perform the responsibilities of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. The largest refrigerated trucking company…
Read More Narcoleptic Cop Wins Quarter Million Dollar ADA Jury Verdict
By Richard Cohen |
A year ago I did a post entitled “Don’t Be Chained To ‘Fears, Biases or Stereotypes’ Against People With Disabilities.” Apparently the Austin police department learned this the hard way. An Austin-based detective with narcolepsy was awarded more than $240,000 by a jury in an Americans With Disabilities Act (”ADA”) “failure to accommodate” and retaliation…
Read More Autism—an Eye-Opener for Your Company, Not a Nonstarter
By Richard Cohen |
By: Amy Epstein Gluck Imagine how hard it is to land that awesome, lucrative job when you cannot make eye contact. Or read body language…at all. Or take social cues. Or make small talk. Or even appear to be unaware when people talk to you or ask you questions. Or inject completely irrelevant details into…
Read More Doctors Fire Doctor Taking Legally Prescribed Meds And Get Sued
By Richard Cohen |
By Richard Cohen Maybe my recent post about firing (or not hiring) employees who are taking legally prescribed medications was not read by two Atlanta physicians groups, because if they did they would have known that (1) terminating a physician “because of an actual disability and because he was perceived to be disabled due to his…
Read More Don't Be Chained To “Fears, Biases or Stereotypes” Against People With Disabilities
By Richard Cohen |
The EEOC’s Strategic Enforcement Plan (“SEP”) has, as one of its six national priorities, the elimination of barriers in recruitment and hiring. Lately, the EEOC has seemed to focus upon deafness as a barrier to hiring — or as a reason for termination. We saw recently that “fears, biases or stereotypes” against people with disabilities is at…
Read More RICHARD COHEN
Richard Cohen has litigated and arbitrated complex corporate, commercial and employment disputes for more than 35 years, and is a trusted advisor to business owners and in-house counsel both in the United States and internationally. His clients have included Fortune 100 companies, domestic and foreign commercial and investment banks, Pacific-rim corporations and real estate development companies, as well as start-up businesses throughout the United States.
AMY EPSTEIN GLUCK
Amy Epstein Gluck has represented individuals and corporate clients in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and various federal district courts for more than twenty years. Ms. Epstein Gluck’s current practice areas include employment law—advising on and drafting employment agreements; handling employment negotiations, severance agreements, noncompete and nondisclosure agreements, “wrongful terminations” and other EEO matters; representation at the EEOC level; advising employers about discrimination laws and how to remain in compliance, and employment negotiations.
