National Spine & Pain Centers, LLC, a Rockville, Md.-based medical practice with over 60 offices in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, violated federal law when it denied leave to an employee with a disability and fired her instead, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit. According to the EEOC’s suit, National Spine & Pain Centers denied leave to a patient services coordinator who had breast cancer. The EEOC alleges that the employee notified the company that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would require accommodations related to treatment and surgery. The EEOC contends that National Spine and Pain Centers failed to provide an accommodation and instead discharged her. Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities and prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on an individual’s disability. The EEOC is seeking back pay, front pay, and compensatory and punitive damages for the employee, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination.
