Eagle Marine Services to Pay $45,000 in EEOC Disability Lawsuit

NEW ORLEANS – Eagle Marine Services Electrical and Refrigeration, LLC, a marine services company based in Berwick, Louisiana, has agreed to pay a former job applicant $45,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the company withdrew a job offer after a company-ordered medical examination revealed the candidate had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and took prescribed medication, Adderall, for treatment. The company failed to make any individual assessment of the worker’s medication use or whether it would affect his ability to safely perform the job.

This alleged conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which forbids discrimination against an individual because of disability. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (Civil Action No. 3:22-cv-00676).

Under the court-approved three-year consent decree settling the suit, Eagle Marine will pay the candidate $45,000 in back pay and damages, and also conduct training; revise policies; provide regular reports to the EEOC; and post a notice affirming its obligations under the ADA.

“This resolution provides appropriate relief for the former applicant and sends the message that employers are obligated to assess and hire individuals with disabilities in accordance with the law,” said Rudy Sustaita, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Houston District Office.

Peter Theis, a senior trial attorney in the EEOC’s New Orleans Field Office, said, “It is important that employers who use pre-employment medical screenings do so in a way that does not discriminate.” Theis added, “Employers cannot reject an applicant simply because the medical screener indicates that there are restrictions.”

The EEOC’s New Orleans Field Office is part of the Houston District Office, which covers Louisiana and parts of Texas.

More information about disability discrimination is available at https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc-disability-related-resources.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates