Michigan Home Health Care Service Provider to Pay $65K Over Disability Suit

Alternate Solutions Health Network, LLC, and its affiliated entity Beaumont ASHN, LLC, (collectively ASHN), providers of home health care services, will pay $65,000 and furnish other relief to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a former employee who worked as an in-home occupational therapist suffered a grand mal seizure and was later diagnosed with a brain tumor and seizure disorder. The former employee requested the ability to use a ridesharing service as transportation to patients’ homes. ASHN denied her request and then fired her, the EEOC said.

The alleged conduct violated the American Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. The EEOC filed suit (Case No. 2:23-cv-13043 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

Under the two-and-a-half-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit, ASHN will pay $65,000 in monetary damages to the former employee; train human resources and management employees on compliance with the ADA; develop a reasonable accommodation policy to includes examples of possible accommodations; and submit annual reports regarding reasonable accommodation requests.

Source: EEOC