April 1, 2012
Jury grants EEOC award of $240 Million for disability discrimination.
In a particularly egregious set of facts, the jury determined that the Company had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) by creating a hostile environment and imposing discriminatory conditions of employment, and acted with “malice or reckless indifference” to their civil rights. Specifically, the EEOC presented evidence that for years and years the owners and staffers of the Company subjected the workers to abusive verbal and physical harassment; restricted their freedom of movement; and imposed other harsh terms and conditions of employment such as requiring them to live in deplorable and sub-standard living conditions, and failing to provide adequate medical care when needed.
This is just one reminder for employers of the extent of liability employers may face for failing to adhere to the ADA.