Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, N.M., has agreed to pay a former employee $98,000 to settle a disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit in 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. It alleged Asheley Coriz, who was hired in February 2018, experienced a hostile work environment because she is deaf, the commission said. The lawsuit also claimed the hospital failed to reasonably accommodate Ms. Coriz's disability and fired her because of her disability, her request for reasonable accommodation, and her complaints about her supervisor, who allegedly discriminated against her.
The settlement reached May 19 resolves the allegations and will provide Ms. Coriz with $98,000 in back pay and compensatory damages. The commission said Ms. Coriz's personnel records will also be expunged, and Christus St. Vincent Medical Center will provide a letter expressing regret that Ms. Coriz did not feel supported.
Additionally, the hospital agreed to revise its equal employment opportunity and reasonable accommodation policies as well as provide annual training to employees. Under the settlement, Ms. Coriz's former supervisor is not eligible for rehire.
Sandra Dominguez, vice president for human resources at Christus St. Vincent, told the Journal via a statement that the hospital would abide by the settlement and "supports all legal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act."
"Cases such as this serve as a reminder of the importance of ensuring that our everyday practices adhere to all legal requirements," she added.