Merritt Hospitality To Pay $125,000 To Settle EEOC Lawsuit

SAN DIEGO, CA – Merritt Hospitality and HEI Hotels and Resorts agreed to pay $125,000 to settle a federal lawsuit regarding a San Diego hotel employee's working conditions, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Thursday.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, an employee at the Embassy Suites hotel in San Diego was assigned to a workspace that did not have ventilation or windows. Those working conditions exacerbated the employee's unspecified disability, causing significant breathing issues, according to the lawsuit.

The employee immediately informed the company that she needed an accommodation for her disability, but the company failed to provide her with an effective accommodation, according to the lawsuit.

Within days of the request, the employee was forced to go to a hospital emergency room, where she remained overnight due to the severity of her condition, according to the lawsuit.

Instead of engaging in the interactive process with the employee, the company fired her, the EEOC charged in the lawsuit, saying such conduct violates the American with Disabilities Act.

In addition to monetary relief, Merritt Hospitality agreed to retain an EEO monitor; appoint an internal ADA coordinator; revise its written policies and procedures regarding compliance with the ADA; create and maintain an accommodation log; implement training to all employees on the ADA; develop a centralized tracking system for accommodation requests and discrimination complaints; and submit annual reports to the EEOC verifying compliance with the decree.

"The interactive process is an integral part of the ADA and requests for accommodations must be taken seriously," said Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office, which includes San Diego in its jurisdiction. "We are encouraged that Merritt Hospitality and HEI Hotels and Resorts have put in place meaningful measures to address disability discrimination and create a more inclusive workplace."

By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock