Lori’s Gifts to Pay $600,000, Resolving EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

Lori’s Gifts will pay $600,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging the company unlawfully screened out job applicants with disabilities.  According to the EEOC, Lori’s Gifts used preemployment questions asking applicants whether they could lift up to 30 pounds or stand and walk for up to five hours, and automatically rejected applicants who answered “no”, even when those requirements were not necessary for the job. The agency also alleged the company refused to hire qualified applicants based on assumptions about the need for accommodations, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  In addition to the monetary settlement, the company agreed to revise its hiring practices, provide ADA training, establish reporting procedures for disability discrimination complaints, and submit compliance reports to the EEOC for two years. (EEOC v. Lori’s Gifts, Inc., Case No. 2:23-cv-03175-EAS-CMV)