The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against Werner Enterprises (No. 11 on the CCJ Top 250) for allegedly refusing to hire a truck driver because he is deaf.
Werner has not responded to attempts by CCJ requesting comment on the lawsuit.
According to a press release from EEOC detailing the charges, Werner allegedly told Andrew Deuschle they could not hire deaf people as truckers, despite the fact that he had graduated from truck driving school, received his CDL and had a medical waiver from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration exempting him from the hearing portion of the DOT physical. The lawsuit also alleges Werner illegally made disability-related inquiries in its employment application.
EEOC claims the allegations are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the lawsuit, the agency seeks back pay for Deuschle, as well as compensatory and punitive damages and injunctive relief “to prevent and address future discrimination based on disability.”
