COLFAX, N.C. (WGHP) — In what was determined to be an unlawful termination of a former employee due to disability status, Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company was ordered to pay $36,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced Friday.
The Salisbury-based soft drink company, which has a facility in Colfax, N.C., terminated a female worker’s employment following a situation regarding her physical condition and medication.
Cheerwine Bottling Company sued for alleged disability discrimination, EEOC says
Court documents indicate that, in March of 2023, the employee worked as a store merchandiser and had been at the job for six weeks when Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company required her to undergo a medical examination.
According to the lawsuit, the former employee took medication for her multiple sclerosis, which caused the cartilage in her hip to deteriorate, causing her to walk with a limp…