Reasonable Accommodations for Sickle-Cell Anemia Are Required

A health staffing agency, Dependable Health Services Inc., has agreed to pay $38,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to the federal agency.  The lawsuit alleged that Sheena Berry, requested a reasonable accommodation of not working at a mobile blood drive because she suffered from pregnancy complications related to sickle-cell anemia.  Dependable Health initially refused the accommodation but later accommodated Barry by temporarily transferring her to an outpatient department.  After Berry began her maternity leave, she requested a permanent reasonable accommodation of working at a position that would not require her to staff mobile blood drives.  In response, Dependable Health terminated Barry effective February 27, 2017.  The conduct alleged by the EEOC is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Employers may not terminate employees because of their disability or their request for a reasonable accommodation.  See EEOC v. Dependable Health Services, Inc., No. 8:17-cv-02316 (D. Md.).