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U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2025

Homes Direct to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination and Retaliation Charge

Federal Agency Investigation Revealed Home Dealer Fired Employee After She Requested Reasonable Accommodation for Disability

SEATTLE – Homes Direct of Oregon, LLC, a manufactured and modular homes dealer with thirteen locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and New Mexico, has signed a conciliation agreement resolving a charge of disability discrimination and retaliation filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC, a housing consultant for Homes Direct in Albany, Oregon, alleged that three days after a request for a schedule change related to her disability, the company opted to discharge her rather than providing her with a reasonable accommodation, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The EEOC’s investigation established that Homes Direct both failed to provide a reasonable accommodation and fired the consultant in retaliation for revealing her disability and availing herself of her right to a reasonable accommodation.

After the EEOC issued its finding, the parties engaged in the pre-litigation conciliation process. This process resulted in a settlement requiring Homes Direct to bolster its policies and processes for handling discrimination complaints. The company must also conduct separate trainings for managers and employees designed to prevent future discrimination by educating them on their rights and responsibilities under the ADA. Provisions were also made to compensate the individual consultant who was subjected to the discrimination. Further, as part of the settlement, Homes Direct agreed to provide periodic updates and reports to the EEOC for a term of four years.

“Employers need to understand that requesting an accommodation related to a disability is an activity protected under federal law,” said Elizabeth M. Cannon, director of the EEOC’s Seattle Field Office. “Rather than rushing to a conclusion based on myth or stereotype, employers should be engaging with the individual making the request to identify a reasonable accommodation that allows them to do their job. We want to acknowledge Homes Direct’s efforts in coming to the table and working with us to resolve this matter through our conciliation process.”

For more information on the ADA, disability discrimination, and reasonable accommodations, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination. For more information on retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

The EEOC’s Seattle Field Office has jurisdiction over employers located in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Montana.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

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Please contact newsroom@eeoc.gov for media inquiries.

EEOC Hosts July Webinar on Accommodations and Retaliation

“Frontline Supervisors, Accommodation, and Retaliation” Banner featuring current and former EEOC San Francisco District Directors Chris Green and Nancy Sienko.

What should be top of mind when responding to requests involving religion, disability or pregnancy accommodation?  How do you avoid retaliation?

As subject matter experts AND as managers who’ve fielded requests themselves, current and former EEOC San Francisco District Directors Christopher Green and Nancy Sienko will help you properly train new leaders to handle reasonable accommodations, prevent rookie mistakes and build leadership skills!

$300.00 per person
Thursday, July 17, 2025
9:00am – 12:10pm Pacific  |  12:00pm – 3:10pm Eastern 

Relevant to a national audience, especially frontline supervisors and those responsible for managing and training them: employers, HR professionals, EEO specialists, management.

For questions concerning this training,
please contact Linda Li at linda.li@eeoc.gov