Electric Company to Pay $750,000 to Settle Disability Bias Suit

Electricity provider Public Service Co. of New Mexico and PNMR Services Co. have agreed to pay $750,000 to settle an employment discrimination lawsuit, according to the EEOC Wednesday.

PNM allegedly implemented policies that failed to accommodate qualified employees with disabilities and also fired them because of their disabilities or in retaliation for opposing unlawful conduct.

The alleged discriminatory policies included not allowing employees to return to work from medical leave unless they were released to “full duty” or “without medical restrictions,” and refusing to reassign qualified employees with disabilities to vacant positions as a reasonable accommodation, the Equal Employment ...