EEOC lawsuit accuses Wynn Las Vegas of discriminating against disabled veteran
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit Friday that accuses Wynn Las Vegas of discriminating against a disabled employee, a U.S. Army veteran diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
In a federal lawsuit filed in Las Vegas, the agency alleges that the Strip resort refused to accommodate the disability of one of its unarmed security bike officers, requiring him to submit burdensome doctor’s notes.
“The process of asking for an accommodation should not be so burdensome that it stops people from exercising their rights,” said Richard Burgamy, director of the EEOC’s Las Vegas Office.
The resort’s actions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and exacerbated the employee’s stress disorder, according to the lawsuit.
When the employee filed a complaint with the EEOC, the lawsuit alleges, Wynn Las Vegas retaliated by suspending him pending an investigation.
“In recent years we have seen an increase in disability cases and employers failing to properly engage in the interactive process to look for an accommodation, as they are legally required to do,” said Anna Park, regional attorney for EEOC’s Los Angeles District.
“This case is especially distressing since an Army veteran who sacrificed his health by serving his country then suffered further from his employer’s intransigence.”
The federal agency is seeking back pay and damages, along with an injunction to prevent future disability discrimination.
A Wynn Las Vegas spokesman said the company has not yet received a copy of the lawsuit.
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Follow @JGermanRJ on Twitter.
