Wynn Las Vegas denies it discriminated against disabled employee

A Wynn Las Vegas spokesman Saturday denied allegations the Strip resort discriminated against a disabled employee diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The allegations were leveled in a federal lawsuit filed Friday by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“We did not discriminate against the employee on the basis of an alleged disability,” Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver said in a statement. “Wynn Resorts profoundly resents the false accusations of the EEOC in taking this action and intends to prove that in court.”

Weaver said the lawsuit is an example of the EEOC’s “frequent irresponsible and ill-conceived actions that often ignore the obvious facts, and in this case, the truth.”

“We are deeply disappointed that the EEOC decided to file a lawsuit three years after our last communication on this matter, rather than contact us and engage in the real work necessary to help an employee ensnared in medical and government bureaucracy. “

The company makes work accommodations under the Americans With Disabilities Act and was prepared to do that for the employee, a security bike officer and U.S. Army veteran, Weaver said.

“Unfortunately, the employee was unable to obtain the certification required by government regulation which would allow us to fairly make an accommodation for him,” Weaver said. “The company worked with the employee for months to help him obtain the necessary medical certification. Eventually, the employee resigned; he was not terminated.”

The EEOC alleged in its lawsuit that Wynn Las Vegas violated the Americans with Disabilities Act in its dealings with the security officer and exacerbated his stress disorder.

When the employee filed a complaint with the EEOC, the resort retaliated by suspending him pending an investigation, the EEOC alleged.

The federal agency is seeking back pay and damages, along with an injunction to prevent future disability discrimination.

Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Follow @JGermanRJ on Twitter.