Breast Cancer Diagnosis Discrimination Lawsuit

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) attorneys charged in a disability discrimination lawsuit filed on July 31, 2009 that a Detriot provider of charter school education and related education services violated federal law by firing an employee because of her breast cancer.  According to the EEOC Press Release, the lawsuit alleges that the employee worked successufully for the company as a social worker, and, in April 2007, she advised her supervisor that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would need to take leave for treatment.  See, http://www.eeoc.gov/press/7-31-09a.html .  As stated in the Press Release, her employment was terminated in July 2007 for unspecified reasons.  The EEOC asserts that she was the only social worker terminated by the company and the true reason for her termination was the breast cancer diagnosis.  Such alleged conduct violates the Americans With Disabilities Act which prohibits employers from terminating employees because of such medical conditions.  The EEOC filed the lawsuit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement.  In this regard, the EEOC is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination and further information about the EEOC may be found in its website at www.eeoc.gov .