Eeoc Vfedex

EEOC v. Federal Express

2008 U.S. App. Lexis 1260 (4th Cir)

United States District Court

Facts of the Case:

Federal Express hired Ronald Lockhart in 2000 as a package handler for the Baltimore-Washington International Airport facility. Before hiring Mr. Lockhart it was known that he was deaf, and could only speak in ASL (American Sign Language). It was two years into his employment before the company decided to retain an interpreter. This interpreter was made available to him for monthly events or meetings. Mr. Lockhart however, would require an ASL interpreter for other important meetings that discussed safety and company information. Due to the actions of not successfully gaining access to an interpreter, Mr. Lockhart filed a complaint with the EEOC. He was then terminated later that month by Federal Express stating his attendance was an issue. The EEOC handled the situation by filing a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Maryland District claiming discrimination and wrongful termination according to the Title I law under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). This act states that if an employer has more than 15 employees, it will need to provide those needing accommodations an equal opportunity. Damages sought in the case include punitive and compensatory for the company’s conduct towards Mr. Lockhart. The court decided in his favor and awarded him $100,000 for punitive damages, and $8,000 for compensatory damages.

Issues of the Case:

The two main issues presented were (1) if there was an adequate amount of evidence to support the jury’s award of punitive damages and (2) if the amount awarded in punitive damages was excessive.

Holdings:

The judge ruled in favor to the EEOC and upheld the previous award amounts to Mr. Lockhart.

Order:

The EEOC was successful in their case by proving Federal Express (1) had knowledge of Mr. Lockhart’s disability (2) had knowledge of the ADA Title I rights of employees (3) the amount ($100,000)...