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Los Angeles District Office Contact:
255 E. Temple St., 4th Floor Nicole St. Germain, Outreach Coordinator
Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 894-1045/ (213) 810-0980
(213) 894-1000 Anna Park, Regional Attorney
(213) 894-1083
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
July 6, 2017
EEOC Sues Time Warner Cable & Charter
Communications for Firing an Employee with A Disability
Company
Failed to Accommodate Employee and Terminated Her Within Days of Learning of Her
Medical Diagnosis,
Federal Agency Charges
LOS
ANGELES – The U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
filed suit today alleging
that Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications, DBA Spectrum, Inc. violated
federal discrimination law by refusing to accommodate an employee with a
disability and terminating her employment days after learning of her
diagnosis.
According
to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Time Warner Cable initially granted the employee unpaid leave
when she requested an accommodation to seek medical attention for her disability.
The EEOC alleges that once Time Warner Cable learned of the employee’s
disability diagnosis, they failed to provide her additional unpaid leave so
that she could undergo treatment for her medical condition.
Such
alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as
amended. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of
California (EEOC v. Time Warner Cable, Inc. and Charter Communications, Inc.
DBA Spectrum, Case No: 5:17-cv-01355) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation
settlement through its conciliation process. The agency’s suit seeks back pay,
along with compensatory and punitive damages for the individual, as well as
injunctive relief intended to prevent any future discrimination and harassment
in the workplace.
“The
EEOC continues to see employers failing to properly engage in the interactive
process and accommodating employees who are undergoing serious medical issues,”
said Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District.
Rosa
Viramontes, director of the Los Angeles District, added, “This case should
serve as a reminder to employers that it is their responsibility to provide
reasonable accommodations to employees under the law."
According to the
company’s website, www.spectrum.com, Charter Communication is the second
largest cable provider in the United States having recently acquired Time
Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.
The EEOC advances
opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment
discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.
Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email
updates.
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