Crothall Healthcare, Inc., a medical laundry and linen service, violated federal law when it refused to extend a job offer to an applicant at its Rome, Ga., location because of his disabilities, a hearing impairment and cerebral palsy, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit. According to the EEOC’s suit, Crothall interviewed Billy Pack for a laundry services worker position. Pack presented for the interview with an American Sign Language interpreter and mobility aids and asked for a stool as an accommodation for his disability. Crothall refused to extend an offer to Pack and claimed the position had been filled, but hired more than 80 non-disabled workers for the position shortly after Pack applied, the EEOC said. Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits discrimination based on a disability. The EEOC is seeking reinstatement, back pay and compensatory and punitive damages for Pack, as well as injunctive relief designed to prevent future discrimination.
