EEOC v. McLane Northeast - Hiring Discrimination Against Deaf Applicant

The EEOC represented a deaf individual who applied for a warehouse position at McLane Northeast but was rejected at the application stage before being interviewed. The employer made no effort to accommodate the applicant's disability or explore reasonable accommodations for the role. Discrimination evidence: - Applicant met all stated job qualifications - Application was rejected without interview opportunity - Employer made no attempt to provide interpreter services - Company had failed to establish communication accommodations - Pattern of similar rejections of deaf applicants Jury verdict awarded: - $25,000 in back pay (lost wages) - $150,000 for emotional distress and compensatory damages - $1.5 million in punitive damages This case established that employers cannot discriminate based on disability assumptions about job capability without providing opportunity and reasonable accommodation.