Kroger To Pay $75K To Settle Disability Lawsuit Brought By Breast Cancer Survivor

Kroger will pay $75,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by a breast cancer survivor who worked at the grocery giant’s store in Edgewood, Georgia. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which alleged that Kroger discriminated against the employee based on her disability and retaliated against her after she sought an accommodation. According to the EEOC, the cashier suffered permanent nerve damage in her lower extremities following breast cancer treatment. She requested permission to use a stool or chair while working and provided medical documentation supporting the accommodation. Rather than addressing her request, the suit states that Kroger stopped scheduling the employee for work. The EEOC also alleged that the company continued to leave her off the schedule after she filed an internal discrimination complaint . “In this case, the employee requested a reasonable accommodation that would have imposed a minimal, if any, burden on the company,” Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office, said in a statement when the lawsuit was announced. “Rather than appropriately responding to the employee’s request and subsequent complaint of discrimination, Kroger ignored her and stopped scheduling her to work, violating federal law.” The $75,000 agreement brings the federal case to a close and puts a fresh spotlight on the financial consequences businesses can face when work…