The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched a significant legal action against a healthcare management company and its affiliated hospital, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Filed on January 17, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, the complaint accuses Allegiance Health Management, Inc., and CLHG-Leesville, LLC d/b/a Byrd Regional Hospital of engaging in discriminatory employment practices against individuals with disabilities.
According to the EEOC's filing, Allegiance Health Management and Byrd Regional Hospital are accused of making disability-related inquiries during job applications and maintaining an inflexible leave policy that led to unlawful terminations without considering reasonable accommodations. The complaint highlights specific instances where applicants were required to disclose medical conditions before receiving job offers, a practice deemed inconsistent with ADA guidelines. Furthermore, employees were subjected to ongoing disability-related inquiries through annual questionnaires that were neither job-related nor necessary for business operations.
The EEOC contends that these practices have been ongoing since at least 2018 and have affected numerous individuals seeking employment at various healthcare facilities managed by Allegiance Health. The case particularly focuses on Threccia Beason, who was terminated from her position as an environmental technician at Byrd Regional Hospital after requesting medical leave due to a heart condition. Despite providing medical documentation supporting her need for leave, Beason's request was denied because she did not qualify under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), leading to her dismissal without any consideration for reasonable accommodation.
In response to these allegations, the EEOC is seeking several forms of relief from the court. They demand a permanent injunction preventing further discrimination based on disability and unlawful medical inquiries by the defendants. Additionally, they seek compensation for Beason and other aggrieved individuals for both pecuniary and non-pecuniary losses resulting from these practices. The EEOC also requests punitive damages for what they describe as malicious or reckless conduct by the defendants.
Representing the EEOC in this case are attorneys Karla Gilbride, Christopher Lage, Gwendolyn Young Reams, Rudy L. Sustaita, Gregory T. Juge, Peter Theis, Elizabeth J. Owen, Scott D. Wilson, and Jacqueline C. Barber from their New Orleans Field Office. The case is presided over under Case ID No. 2:25-cv-69.