EEOC Sues Wilson Logistics in Strafford, Missouri, for Violating the Americans with Disabilities Act
Federal Agency Charges Trucking Company Refused Applicant Because of Deafness
GREENSBORO, NC (STL.News) The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued Missouri-based trucking company Transportation Management Group, doing business as Wilson Logistics, for violating federal law when it refused to hire a deaf job applicant because of his disability.
According to the lawsuit filed today, the job applicant called Wilson Logistics and is seeking work as a truck driver. He possessed a commercial driver’s license, had relevant experience, and had been granted an exemption from regulatory hearing requirements by the U.S. Department of Transportation. When the applicant spoke to Wilson through a video relay service, the company’s representative told him he could not bring somebody in who does not read, write, and speak English. He further told him the company does not hire individuals who communicate through sign language.
Such alleged conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits companies from refusing to hire individuals with a disability. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Transportation Management Group, d/b/a Wilson Logistics, Case No. 1:24-cv-00640) in U.S. District Court for the District of Middle District of North Carolina, Greensboro Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.
“An employer cannot refuse to consider a job applicant because of a disability without conducting an individualized inquiry,” said Melinda C. Dugas, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District. “The EEOC will continue to litigate cases in which qualified individuals with disabilities are summarily dismissed from the application process.”
USPress.News covered this story as well.
