Pilot Air Freight to Pay $400,000 to Settle Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
International Freight Company, Pilot Air Freights, LLC, Settles Claim It Fired Manager Because of His Cancer
ATLANTA, GA (STL.News) Pilot Air Freight, LLC, an international freight shipping and logistics company, will pay $400,000 and provide other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced on August 13, 2024.
The EEOC alleged in its lawsuit that, in early June 2019, Thomas Hunt informed his manager that he needed to request leave to see his doctor about some biopsy results. About ten days later, Hunt was terminated by Pilot Air Freight, allegedly as a result of a reduction in force. Pilot claimed that Hunt was laid off because he had less tenure than other employees, and his position was eliminated. However, in the months leading up to and following Hunt’s discharge, Pilot hired several employees who were not discharged based on tenure and hired an employee in a position very similar to the one that Hunt previously held, with a higher salary.
Such alleged conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of known or perceived disabilities. In 2021, the EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Pilot Air Freight, LLC), Case No. 1:21-CV-03936-MLB-LTW) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.
Under the one-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit, Pilot will pay $400,000 in monetary damages to Hunt; train its employees on the ADA; maintain certain anti-discrimination policies; post an employee notice; and allow the EEOC to monitor complaints of disability discrimination.
“Employees with disabilities should be supported—not cast aside,” said Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office. “We are glad Pilot has agreed to training its employees and we are hopeful that no other Pilot employees will go through the discrimination Mr. Hunt faced.”
“This consent decree demonstrates the Commission’s unwavering commitment to making sure all employees, regardless of their disability status, have an equal opportunity to enjoy the privileges and benefits of employment,” said Darrell Graham, district director of the EEOC’s Atlanta office.
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