McLane Stuck With Loss in Deaf Job Seeker Case But Award Reduced

A jury had sufficient evidence to find McLane/Eastern Inc. discriminated against a deaf job applicant, but the company was right that the nearly $1.7 million damages award had to be cut, a federal judge ruled.

Damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act are capped at $300,000 against employers the size of McLane, the US District Court for the Northern District of New York said. So even though the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission proved the supply chain services company violated the ADA by refusing to interview or hire Shelley Valentino, the $1.5 million in punitive damages must be reduced to $150,000 ...