Employers are Required to Provide Reasonable Accommodations to Deaf Employees

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has reached a settlement with St. Vincent Hospital in a lawsuit where the EEOC alleged that the hospital discriminated against an employee because of a disability and then retaliated after this employee complained of discrimination.  The lawsuit claimed that one of St. Vincent Hospital’s employees, Asheley Coriz, was subjected to a hostile work environment by her supervisor because Ms. Coriz is deaf.  The lawsuit further claimed that Ms. Coriz was not granted reasonable accommodations, and that St. Vincent then fired Ms. Coriz after she complained about St. Vincent’s failure to grant her requested reasonable accommodations and her supervisor’s discriminatory conduct.  This alleged conduct is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The ADA protects employees from discrimination and retaliation due to a disability.  See EEOC v. St. Vincent Hospital,  No. 1:19-cv-00764 (D.N.M.).