712 Digital Group - top

Firm that wouldn’t hire driver with service dog settles suit

News

March 6th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa-based transportation company has settled a disability discrimination lawsuit filed over what federal authorities was the company’s refusal to accommodate a Navy veteran who used a service dog. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a news release Wednesday that CRST Expedited/CRST International will pay $47,500 and provide other relief. The lawsuit said CRST violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to hire and retaliating against a truck driver applicant who told a recruiter that the dog helped him with his post-traumatic stress disorder. A company lawyer declined to comment.

The commission says the applicant successfully completed the required commercial drivers’ licensing course with CRST’s partner training company but wasn’t hired because of CRST’s “no pet” policy. CRST is based in Cedar Rapids.