U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission News Release (05/10/12)

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports Randstad US LP will pay $60,000 and furnish substantial injunctive relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit. According to EEOC’s suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Randstad refused to hire Jason O’Dell, who applied for employment with Randstad’s Frederick, MD, branch, because of his Asperger’s syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. Because of his qualifications for the lab technician position he sought, Randstad had originally fast-tracked O’Dell’s participation in the hiring process. Soon after he disclosed the disability, however, O’Dell was told that the lab technician position had been put “on hold,” and he was not hired, as Randstad continued to recruit for the position. Such alleged conduct violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.