PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An eastern Oregon potato and onion packager is facing a federal lawsuit claiming it illegally fired an employee because of his disability.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged in a lawsuit that South Basin Packing in Umatilla fired a 58-year-old forklift driver immediately after he disclosed a diagnosis for a chronic medical condition.
Luis Lucero, director of the commission’s Seattle field office, called it “a sad reflection” on the way society often responds to people with disabilities.
The agency said the alleged discrimination violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the lawsuit was filed after attempts to reach a voluntary settlement.
A call Tuesday to South Basin by The Associated Press was answered by a woman who said the company had no comment. She declined to identify herself.
