NU Online News Service, Aug. 17, 2:50 p.m. EST
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says it has filed suit against United Insurance Co. after denying employment to a man with methadone in his system.
According to the EEOC, Craig Burns is a recovering drug addict who has been enrolled in a methadone treatment program since 2004.
Early last year, Chicago-based United Insurance allegedly offered Burns a job as an agent in its Raleigh, N.C. office but reneged when Burns' drug test showed methadone in his system.
EEOC says United Insurance violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The commission says it filed a lawsuit only after attempting to reach a voluntary settlement with United Insurance.
“It is unfortunate that many employers still deny the opportunity for work to people who are ready and able simply because of inaccurate perceptions of disabilities,” says Lynette A. Barnes, an EEOC attorney, in a statement. “Employers' decisions are often based on irrational fears or stereotypes about individuals with a record of past substance abuse.”
On behalf of Burns, the EEOC seeks back pay, compensatory damages and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief, it says in a statement.
Burns submitted a letter from his treatment facility to the insurer to explain his treatment program, but United Insurance allegedly withdrew an offer of employment.
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