Health Partners, Inc. To Pay $25,000 to Resolve EEOC Disability Discrimination Case

Company Refused to Let Employee With Non-Contagious  Tuberculosis Work, Federal Agency Alleged

DETROIT -  Health Partners, Inc., a Southfield, Mich. rehabilitation and nursing company,  has agreed to pay $25,000 and conduct training to settle a disability  discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity  Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

In its lawsuit,  (EEOC v. Health Partners, Inc., Case  No. 2:11-CV-12024), filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of  Michigan, the EEOC charged that Health Partners violated the Americans with  Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing to allow an employee to start working after  she tested positive for tuberculosis on a preliminary skin test.  The EEOC contended that such conduct violates  the ADA because Health Partners regarded her as disabled even though she was  not contagious and did not pose a direct threat of health risk.

Rather  than engage in protracted litigation, Health Partners agreed to a two-year  consent decree which requires it to pay $25,000 to the employee and train those  employees responsible for hiring on the ADA.

"The agency's  two-year consent decree provides complete relief to the employee, and also  provides protections to future employees," said Nedra Campbell, the trial  attorney who handled the case.  "We  commend Health Partners for making this commitment to train its hiring  personnel at such an early stage in this case."

Founded in  1990, Health Partners, Inc. specializes in providing rehabilitation services  and in-home nursing care.

The  EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment  discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site  at www.eeoc.gov.