Posted:
EEOC v. Smith’s Detection Inc., Case No. 1:24-cv-2510 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division. The agency filed against Smith’s Detection, Inc., a leading manufacturer of threat detection equipment, for demoting a disabled employee to avoid providing her with personal protective equipment (PPE). The employee, who suffered from complete hearing loss in her left ear, asked for PPE to protect her remaining hearing from manufacturing equipment noise in the area where she worked as a team lead. The employer responded by demoting her from the team lead position, resulting in reduced pay, and assigning her to a quieter area.
“Employers must be reminded that a reasonable accommodation is an adjustment or modification to the workplace that enables the employee to continue her work,” said EEOC Regional Attorney Debra M. Lawrence. “Demoting the employee is an adverse employment action, not a reasonable accommodation."
In fiscal year 2023, the EEOC received more than 29,000 charges of disability discrimination, a 25-year high.
