EEOC Sues State Contractor and Staffing Firm for Disability Discrimination

ACS and Alpha Rae Denied Reasonable Accommodation and Fired Employee With Known Physical Limitations, Federal Agency Charges

INDIANAPOLIS – Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS), the company under contract with the State of Indiana to operate many of Indiana's public benefits programs, and the staffing firm that supports the company unlawfully discriminated against an employee and fired her because of her disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed Monday.

According to the EEOC's suit (Civil Action No. 1:11-cv-00015-PPS-RBC), filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, the employee had physical disabilities that were known to the company and its staffing agency. Yet each refused to take reasonable measures to accommodate those disabilities, the EEOC said.

Employers violate the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) when they fail to provide reasonable accommodations for employees' disabilities unless the employer would suffer an undue hardship as a result. The EEOC filed suit against ACS and Alpha Rae Personnel, Inc. after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement.

Alpha Rae is based in Fort Wayne, Ind. ACS is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

"These employers could easily have prevented this situation by making reasonable accommodations," said Laurie A. Young, EEOC regional attorney for the Indianapolis District Office.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov. The EEOC's Indianapolis Office is located at 101 W. Ohio Street, Suite 1900. The toll-free telephone number is (800) 669-4000.