WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sinclair Inc. has agreed to pay a fine and provide other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency has announced.
The owner of WBFF-45 in Baltimore, one of two flagship properties for Sinclair, is agreeing to a $85,000 financial penalty to conclude the matter, which involves a female help desk technician who was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. This individual worked for Sinclair at an office located in Cockeysville, Md.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges that after Sinclair learned of the help desk technician’s mental impairment, the company suspended and fired the woman.
Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits disability discrimination and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities unless it would cause undue hardship.
As such, the EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.
Terms of the settlement, an 18-month consent decree, requires not only a $85,000 payment to settle back wages and compensatory damages, but also calls on Sinclair to provide periodic reporting, monitoring, and a process for reviewing future disability discrimination complaints.
The consent decree also requires Sinclair to provide training to ensure compliance with the ADA, including anti-stigma training aimed at reducing stigmatizing behavior in the workplace and protecting those with mental impairments from harassment, degrading conduct and discrimination.
The EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and parts of New Jersey and Ohio. The legal staff of the EEOC also prosecutes discrimination cases in Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia.
— With wire reports supplied to RBR+TVBR
