Disability Services Organization Refused to Accommodate Employee with Disability, Federal Agency Charges
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Innovative Services NW (ISNW), a nonprofit providing programs for people with disabilities and others to build self-reliance through educational, therapeutic, and employment services, violated federal law when it refused to accommodate an employee with a degenerative hip impairment and instead fired her, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in a lawsuit filed today.
According to the EEOC’s suit, Carly Romero had worked as a janitor for ISNW’s Janitorial Services Program in Vancouver, Wash. for seven years, earning praise as a valued employee and strong performer by high level managers. In November 2019, Romero attempted to return to work with a doctor’s release allowing her to resume janitorial activities, except for wearing a backpack vacuum. As a reasonable accommodation, Romero asked to use an upright vacuum instead. The EEOC’s investigation found that even though ISNW had permitted other janitors to use upright vacuums at some customer sites, the company refused Romero’s repeated requests to return to work. Claiming “there would be too much risk to return [Romero] to work without a 100% release,” ISNW placed Romero on unpaid leave, then fired her on January 21, 2020.
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