Federal Lawsuit Charges Company Fired Employee Because of Her Disability and Need for a Reasonable Accommodation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Sanmina Corporation, a provider of electronic manufacturing services, violated federal law when it fired an employee because of her disability and to avoid the need for a reasonable accommodation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.
According to the lawsuit, the employee had osteoarthritis and other conditions that made movements such as walking across Sanmina’s large parking lot difficult and painful. Sanmina had previously refused to increase the number of handicap parking spaces or provide other solutions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the employee worked from home for a couple of years without any negative impact on her productivity or responsibilities. All the essential functions of her position could be performed remotely. After the pandemic, Sanmina began requiring all workers to return to working in person. The employee requested an accommodation of continuing to work from home. Sanmina granted the employee’s accommodation request until further notice. However, several months later, Sanmina terminated the employee’s employment because of her accommodation of working from home due to her disability.
Sanmina’s conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of an employee’s disability. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Sanmina Corporation, Case No. 5:24-cv-01317-HNJ) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking back pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages for the employee, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination.
“Employees who are performing their job duties should not have to face termination simply because they have a reasonable accommodation for their disability,” said EEOC Birmingham District Director Bradley Anderson. “The ADA prohibits an employer from denying employment opportunities to a qualified individual based on the need for a reasonable accommodation.”
Marsha Rucker, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Birmingham District, said, “Firing an employee simply because of a disability or to avoid a need for a reasonable accommodation is discrimination and illegal. We will continue to pursue justice on the behalf of employees who are denied their rights to equal employment opportunity under the ADA.”
For more information on disability discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination.
The EEOC’s Birmingham District Office has jurisdiction over Alabama, Mississippi (except 17 northern counties) and the Florida Panhandle.
The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.
