Bank Settles Age, Disability Discrimination Case

The bank will pay $95,000 and provide injunctive relief to settle the EEOC’s age and disability discrimination suit (civil action number 2:12-cv-02855), which alleges that the bank had failed to provide a reasonable accommodation for a former employee’s disability and discharged her because of her age.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Western Division, the bank refused a branch manager’s request for reasonable accommodation—a demotion to a less stressful and demanding position because of a physical disability. Subsequently, the 61-year-old branch manager was treated less favorably than younger managers by the bank and eventually fired (see “Regions Bank Sued for Firing of 61-Year-Old Manager”). The suit states that the branch manager had worked for bank’s predecessor for more than 30 years and had worked for Regions Bank since 2005.

The suit also notes that such denial of a reasonable accommodation to an otherwise qualified disabled individual violates Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and that discriminating on the basis of age violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

The consent decree from the court will require the bank will pay the former branch manager $95,000 in monetary damages. In addition, the bank will provide age and disability discrimination training for senior management and human resource officials in western Tennessee; report complaints of discrimination that it receives to the EEOC; and post a notice to employees at its main Memphis branch and corporate office about the lawsuit that includes the EEOC’s contact information.