New York Technology Firm Sued for Not Hiring Engineer Who Is Deaf

A Rochester, New York technology firm has been charged with allegedly violating federal law by ending its interview with and failing to hire a qualified applicant for an engineering role because he is deaf.

According to a lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), in November 2022, Robert Rademacher interviewed for a job as an automation engineer with Tech Mahindra (Americas) Inc. The lawsuit says that upon realizing Rademacher is deaf and was using a sign-language interpreter, Tech Mahindra “abruptly stopped the interview and told him he was not going to get the job.”

Tech Mahindra followed up with an email telling him, “While you have the perfect skill set for this role it would be a challenge having an inter[preter] on-site.”

Rademacher explained that an onsite interpreter was not necessary, as there is technology that could allow for virtual interpretation. Tech Mahindra still refused to hire him.

The EEOC maintains that such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified applicants based on their disability.

The EEOC said it filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking back pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages for Rademacher, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future disability discrimination in the hiring process.

“The ADA protects applicants who are deaf and hard of hearing from being denied job opportunities because of their disability,” said Jeffrey Burstein, regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District Office. “The EEOC is committed to holding employers accountable when they make hiring decisions based on an applicant’s disability rather than the applicant’s skills and qualifications.”

Source: EEOC

Topics Lawsuits New York Talent Tech