The Phoenix Center Inc., a mental health and substance use recovery center headquartered in Ironton, Ohio, violated federal law when it subjected several employees to various forms of disability discrimination, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed on September 19, 2023. According to the EEOC’s suit, a woman applied for a case manager position at one of The Phoenix Center’s four Ohio facilities but was rejected because of her chronic migraine condition and because she required medication for it. The EEOC also charged that The Phoenix Center fired another employee because of her alcohol dependence. Further, the suit included charges the employer subjected a class of applicants to impermissible medical inquiries. Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits employers from firing or refusing to hire qualified individuals due to an actual disability or a record of disability, or because the employer regarded them as having an impairment. The ADA also requires employers to make a reasonable accommodation to qualified employees and job applicants who have or had an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, unless doing so would cause undue hardship for the employer.
