Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to pay $6.8 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Wal-Mart was accused of discriminating against people with disabilities in a pre-employment screening.
The agreement also settles 12 other similar lawsuits filed against Wal- Mart in 11 states. “What is extremely gratifying about this private sector-government resolution is the intensive effort on everybody’s part to rectify past practices and to ensure that the Wal-Mart facilities of the future will be more promising workplaces for current and prospective individuals with disabilities,” EEOC Chairperson Cari Dominguez said in a statement.
The lawsuit alleged that between 1994 and 1998, Wal-Mart requested disability-related information from applicants before making job offers, which violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Under the settlement, Wal-Mart will pay $6.8 million to set up two separate funds to compensate plaintiffs in the case and other unidentified plaintiffs who may qualify for compensation.