ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The U.S Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Justice Department filed a lawsuit today alleging that the Richmond City Sheriff’s Office fired a former deputy sheriff after failing to reassign her to a vacant position for which she was qualified, in violation of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The employee, who had worked as a deputy for approximately 10 years, asked to be reassigned to an available civilian position after a heart condition rendered her unable to continue as a deputy. Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals on the basis of disability in various aspects of employment. These prohibitions include failing to provide reasonable accommodations, including reassignment, where such an accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the employer.
“Employment is a vital part of life for all individuals and the ADA ensures that qualified individuals who develop disabilities are able to stay employed," said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“The ADA guarantees people with disabilities the right to earn a living and advance their careers free from workplace discrimination," said Vanita Gupta, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce the ADA and ensure that when employees develop disabilities that interfere with their job, employers reassign them to a different vacant position that matches their qualifications."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Harker is working on this matter in conjunction with the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division.
Those interested in finding out more about the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
