North Memorial Health violated civil rights law when it failed to hire an applicant who is deaf because of her disability and failed to provide her a reasonable accommodation, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed in Minnesota today. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the individual applied for a greeter position in July 2020 at North Memorial Health, which is a healthcare provider that operates two hospitals and 26 specialty and primary care clinics, urgent and emergency care facilities and medical transportation services throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The applicant was qualified for the greeter position and could perform the essential functions of the job which included greeting visitors, communicating COVID-19 masking standards and policies, giving directions and keeping the area tidy and welcoming. The EEOC’s lawsuit alleges that North Memorial Health failed to accommodate and hire the applicant because of her disability. This alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAA), which makes it unlawful to discriminate against, fail to hire, and fail to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities.
