CDM Restaurants, LLC Pays $60,000 to Resolve EEOC Disability Discrimination Finding

September 6, 2022
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Miami District Office

Culver’s Franchise Refused to Hire Deaf / Hard-of-Hearing Applicants, Federal Agency Found

CDM Restaurants, LLC, which operates a Culver’s restaurant franchise in Wesley Chapel, Florida, will pay $60,000 to three affected applicants and furnish other relief to resolve a disability discrimination finding made by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

Based on an investigation, the EEOC found that CDM Restaurants refused to employ three deaf or hard-of-hearing applicants in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition to the $60,000 in damages, the two-year conciliation agreement resolving the charge requires CDM to revise its policies to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in the future; advise deaf and hard-of-hearing advocacy groups of job openings; conduct training on the ADA; and post a notice.

“This settlement serves as a reminder that the ADA prohibits employers from making discrimintory assumptions about deaf and hard-of-hearing applicants during the hiring process,” said the EEOC’s Tampa Field Office director, Evangeline Hawthorne. “The law also requires an individualized assessment as to whether the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodations.”

Chelsae J. Ford, systemic coordinator for the EEOC’s Miami District, added, “The EEOC is committed to breaking down barriers to employment faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing applicants. We appreciate CDM’s agreement to resolve this case and to take steps to prevent future discrimination against this population.”

For more information on disability discrimination, please visit eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.