Amputee wins discrimination suit against Las Vegas taxi company that wouldn't hire him

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

A one-armed man who was rejected as an applicant for a taxi driving job won a $30,000 settlement from Vegas Western Cab Co., the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Oct. 7.

The EEOC said it reached a settlement with the taxi company in the lawsuit it filed on behalf of Joel Walden, a single-arm amputee.

When he applied for job as a taxi driver in 2006, Walden met all the requirements in the taxi job announcement, was experienced as a driver and had a clean driving record, the commission said. However, the taxi company refused to hire Walden because of his disability, the EEOC said.

The government agency sued Vegas Western last year, alleging that the rejection violated the Americans With Disabilities Act.

An attorney for Vegas Western declined comment on the settlement, and the company didn't return a call for comment.

"It is plainly and clearly illegal to deny employment to a qualified individual based on disability-related assumptions," EEOC regional attorney Anna Park said in a statement.

"In this case, the applicant was ready, willing and able to do the work," Park said.

The EEOC also alleged that Vegas Western commingled Walden's medical records with those of employees, failing to maintain required confidentiality.

The consent order required Vegas Western to provide clear directions for handling applications from disabled applicants, revise policies and procedures, conduct annual ADA training, include a non-discrimination statement in its job postings, and file training reports and complaints to the EEOC for three years.

Mark James is president of Vegas Western.