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Benefits September 17, 2010
EEOC Sues California Comfort Suites for Firing Autistic Employee
September 17, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a disability discrimination lawsuit against Tarsadia Hotels, doing business as Comfort Suites, which operates several hotels throughout California, for discriminating against an employee with autism.
Reported by Rebecca Moore
The EEOC charged that the Comfort Suites Mission Valley hotel in San Diego failed to reasonably accommodate the front desk employee and effectively disciplined and discharged him due to his disability, in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
According to an EEOC press release, the employee had prior hotel experience in a similar position which earned him a positive recommendation. The agency contends that upon hire, the employee was belittled by his supervisor, denied access to a state-funded job coach, disciplined and ultimately discharged within four months of hire.
The announcement said the employee was not only denied access to his job coach, but that the job coach was made to leave the premises despite the fact that she requested only to observe the employee working. The job coach would have provided services free of any charge to the hotel.