Health care system refused to hire qualified deaf applicant as greeter, lawsuit says
A Minnesota health care provider is accused of refusing to hire an applicant as a greeter because she was deaf, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a lawsuit filed April 1.
According to the lawsuit, a deaf woman applied to be a greeter in July 2020 at North Memorial Health and was qualified for the position that involved greeting visitors, upholding COVID-19 policies and giving directions.
North Memorial Health, which the EEOC said runs two hospitals and 26 clinics and facilities in the Twin Cities area, “failed to accommodate and hire the applicant because of her disability,” a press release from the EEOC said.
The health care system did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on April 4.
The EEOC said the health care system’s actions “violated civil rights law.”
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 made it illegal to ”discriminate against, fail to hire and fail to accommodate” qualified people with disabilities, according to the EEOC.
The lawsuitseeks back pay, damages and injunctive relief from the medical system.
“Unfortunately, when deaf people apply for jobs, some still encounter discrimination. Some employers erroneously believe that they cannot perform the job because of their disability or discriminate against them based on myths, fears and stereotypes,” Gregory Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District, said in the release.
This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Health care system refused to hire qualified deaf applicant as greeter, lawsuit says."
