--- title: Partner Matt Luzadder Quoted in SHRM Article on EEOC Lawsuits date: 2020-11-12T00:00:00-05:00 author: Import Bot canonical_url: "https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/partner-matt-luzadder-quoted-in-shrm-article-on-eeoc-lawsuits" section: News --- # Partner Matt Luzadder Quoted in *SHRM* Article on EEOC Lawsuits November 12, 2020 Partner [Matt Luzadder](https://www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Matthew-C-Luzadder) was quoted in the *SHRM* article, ​“Employers Sued for Rejecting Hearing-Impaired Job Applicants”. The article discusses two recent lawsuits filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The EEOC sued a Subway sandwich shop franchise in Bloomington, Ind., for rejecting a qualified, hard-of-hearing applicant for a sandwich-maker position by citing ​“a communication concern” due to the applicant’s ​“hearing and speaking.” The agency said that conduct violated the ADA, which prohibits employment discrimination based on disability. In another case, Dollar Tree Distribution, a subsidiary of retailer Dollar Tree, Inc., was sued by the EEOC for failing to accommodate or hire a deaf applicant for an entry-level warehouse job in Ridgefield, Wash. Under the ADA, it is illegal to ignore a deaf or hearing-impaired applicant’s request for an accommodation or to refuse to hire an applicant because of a disability. Employers must make reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of their jobs, said Luzadder. He added that ​“a reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables a qualified applicant with a disability to enjoy an equal employment opportunity. The ADA applies to all aspects of recruiting and hiring, including job advertisements, applications, interviews and post-offer medical examinations.” To read the full article, [click here](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/employers-sued-eeoc-hearing-impaired-deaf-job-applicants-ada.aspx). Access may require a subscription. - Share this entry - - - - - [ View entry pdf ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.kelleydrye.com/content/uploads/pdf-snapshots/partner-matt-luzadder-quoted-in-shrm-article-on-eeoc-lawsuits-20230614121707.pdf) ### Related Services - [Litigation](https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/litigation) - [Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation](https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/employee-benefits-and-executive-compensation) In the News [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-Images/Grymes_Thompson_Christie_L.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=750&q=80&w=1125&s=8cdff8f3f62f20742ddf756217720753) ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-rectangles/In_the_News_Listing.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/christie-thompson-featured-on-abas-trust-and-trade-podcast) July 20, 2026 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/christie-thompson-featured-on-abas-trust-and-trade-podcast) In the News [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-Images/Mon_Gonzalo_listing.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=750&q=80&w=1125&s=e5cf250ea9912bedfdad33a60aa6fb97) ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-rectangles/In_the_News_Listing.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/gonzalo-mon-quoted-in-politico-on-click-to-cancel-rules) July 17, 2026 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/gonzalo-mon-quoted-in-politico-on-click-to-cancel-rules)