EEOC and GA Company Reach Consent Decree Ending ADA Violation Suit

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Ranew’s Management Co. Inc., a Georgia industrial company, reached a consent decree in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Ranew’s Management Co. Inc. et al., case number 5:21-cv-00443, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. The decree provides that the company will pay J. Bryant Beeland, a former chief financial officer, $250,000, and the company will train its managers and staff on ADA compliance within the next two months. 

This suit arose when the company fired Beeland after returning from a six-week leave to seek treatment for depression and suicidal thoughts. Although the company encouraged Beeland to take leave, he claims that he did not receive a warm reception upon his return. Before firing him, the CEO allegedly asked Beeland, “How can I trust you to do my accounting work if you have another episode?” As a result, Beeland contacted the EEOC, which filed suit against Ranew’s and several related businesses in December 2021, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In its suit, the EEOC sought back pay and damages for Beeland. 

EEOC expressed its satisfaction with the consent decree, noting that the ADA requires employers to make decisions based on employee qualifications and work performance rather than on an employee’s disability and stereotypes about that disability. In particular, the EEOC approved the company’s plan to provide ADA training for all staff members. 

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