FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2024
EEOC Sues Elon Property Management for Disability Discrimination in Florida
Federal Agency Charges Property Management Company Retaliated Against Worker with Disability and Screens Out Class of Disabled Employees
TAMPA, Fla. – Elon Property Management LLC (Elon), a property management company based in Lakewood, New Jersey, violated federal law by retaliating against an employee for utilizing disability leave and maintaining a policy that screened out and discriminated against a class of employees with disabilities, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.
According to the lawsuit, Elon retaliated against a district manager for taking a medical leave of absence by placing her on a performance improvement plan the day she returned from leave and punishing her for the decline in occupancy rates of her properties that occurred while she was on leave. Additionally, the EEOC alleges that Elon screens out and discriminates against workers with disabilities by prohibiting employees from returning from a medical leave of absence without a full-duty release note from their physician and a physician-signed copy of their job description. Together, these practices prohibit employees from returning to work if they need an accommodation, the EEOC says.
Such alleged conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Elon Property Management Company, Case No. 8:24-cv-2939) in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.
“According to available data, there are over 450,000 Floridians with a disability who are working,” said Kristen Foslid, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District. “In order to retain these workers and comply with the law, employers must allow for a reasonable accommodations process under the ADA.”
The EEOC’s Tampa Field Office director, Tamra Schweiberger, said, “Employers cannot retaliate against individuals for taking a medical leave of absence. Losing the ability to earn an income after a medical leave is devastating, and the EEOC will vigorously defend the rights of employees against disability discrimination.”
For more information on disability discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination.
The Miami District Office’s jurisdiction includes Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
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