FORT WAYNE — A Fort Wayne wholesale bakery has agreed to pay $50,000 and revise its workplace policies to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The EEOC alleged that Holsum of Fort Wayne Inc. violated the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2021 when it failed to provide an employee with a reasonable accommodation and instead required her to take leave before ultimately firing her. According to court filings, the employee, Pamela Miller, relied on a walker due to medical conditions. She had been permitted to use it in the facility until mid-2021, when the company informed her that the device violated its Good Manufacturing Practices Policy.
Miller then submitted medical documentation supporting her need for the walker. The lawsuit states that Holsum declined to adjust its policies to allow her to continue working and directed her to take leave if she could not walk without the device. Her employment was terminated in November 2021…