Aspire Health Partners Inc Orlando Fl, a leading behavioral health organization based in Orlando, Florida, has reached a settlement in a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The settlement, announced recently by the federal agency, involves Aspire Health Partners Inc Orlando FL paying $115,000 and implementing other remedial measures to resolve allegations of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The EEOC’s lawsuit detailed a case where Aspire Health Partners Inc Orlando FL allegedly terminated a long-term employee after she took medical leave for a workplace injury. This employee, who had dedicated over two decades to Aspire and was instrumental in developing the Village House Program – a youth prevention initiative in Orange and Osceola Counties – was reportedly deemed ineligible for rehire. According to the EEOC, just before a scheduled interview for a position within her former program in August 2018, she was informed that her prior workers’ compensation medical records disqualified her from consideration.
The EEOC asserted that this action by Aspire Health Partners Inc Orlando FL violated the ADA, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. The case, EEOC v. Aspire Health Partners, Case No. 6:20-cv-1603, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division, after unsuccessful attempts to reach a pre-litigation resolution through the EEOC’s conciliation process.
Beyond the financial settlement of $115,000 to the affected former employee, the two-and-a-half-year consent decree mandates Aspire Health Partners Inc Orlando FL to take proactive steps to prevent future disability discrimination. These measures include the adoption and distribution of an updated anti-disability discrimination policy within the organization. Furthermore, Aspire Health Partners Inc Orlando FL is required to conduct comprehensive training programs on disability discrimination for its human resources personnel. Public notice of the settlement and Aspire’s commitment to ADA compliance will also be posted.
Robert E. Weisberg, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District, publicly acknowledged Aspire Health Partners Inc Orlando FL’s swift response in resolving the matter. He stated that the EEOC appreciates Aspire’s commitment to compensating the affected employee and implementing policy changes aimed at safeguarding job applicants from disability discrimination in the future.
Evangeline Hawthorne, the EEOC’s Tampa Field Office director, echoed this sentiment, urging other employers to emulate Aspire Health Partners Inc Orlando FL’s example. She encouraged organizations to proactively review their disability policies and practices to ensure that employment opportunities are not unjustly denied based on misconceptions about an individual’s physical capabilities.
The EEOC remains dedicated to promoting equal opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws against employment discrimination. More information about the EEOC and its work is readily available at www.eeoc.gov.
