McDonald’s Sued For Alleged Disability Discrimination Against A Deaf Applicant

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued McDonald's Corporation and McDonald's Restaurants of Missouri for allegedly refusing to accommodate and hire a deaf applicant. According to the lawsuit, Ricky Washington, who is deaf, applied online for a job at a McDonald's restaurant in Belton, Missouri. in June 2012. Washington indicated on his application that he attended Kansas School for the Deaf. Washington also said he had previous job experience working as a cook and clean-up team member at a McDonald's restaurant in Louisiana in 2009. However, allegedly when the restaurant manager discovered Washington needed a sign language interpreter for his job interview, she canceled the interview and never rescheduled it, despite Washington's sister volunteering to act as the interpreter. Restaurant management continued to interview and hire new workers after Washington made several attempts to schedule an interview. Read more here.