Voyant Beauty, a beauty and personal care product company has settled a disability discrimination lawsuit with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by agreeing to pay $75,000. The lawsuit alleged that the company terminated an employee on her first day because she was deaf, an action that contravenes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates non-discrimination based on disability. The company reportedly dismissed the employee due to concerns about her ability to work safely in production at their Countryside, Illinois facility, despite her being qualified and capable of performing the job’s essential functions, with or without accommodation.
As part of the settlement, besides the monetary compensation to the affected worker, Voyant will provide training to its managers on federal disability discrimination laws and will report on its hiring practices regarding applicants with disabilities to the EEOC. This case highlights the ADA’s requirements for employers to avoid discriminatory practices against workers with disabilities in all employment aspects, including hiring, firing, and training, and to provide reasonable accommodations as needed.
The EEOC has been active in pursuing cases against companies that violate the ADA, especially concerning workers with hearing disabilities. Past cases include a $120,000 settlement with the operators of the New York E-ZPass for firing a worker after requesting an accommodation for a hearing condition, allegations against a Kansas Walmart for refusing to provide American Sign Language interpreters to deaf employees, and a federal jury awarding more than $36 million to a person denied a truck driving position due to a hearing disability, although this award was later reduced due to statutory damage caps.
In January 2023, the EEOC released guidance to assist employers in understanding how the ADA applies to hearing disabilities in the workplace, emphasizing the need for individualized assessments based on objective evidence rather than assumptions or stereotypes when making employment decisions related to individuals with disabilities.
