The agency accuses the arts-and-crafts retailer of violating federal law after firing a Kansas employee who wanted to bring her service animal to work.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against the company after it failed to settle a case with a former employee.
S.C. is a part-time employee who suffers from a number of mental health issues. She requested accommodations for a service animal in September 2020 when she started working for the retailer.
S.C. received a denial letter after she met with the human resources.
According to a press release from the EEOC, it was concerned that a coworker or customer might be allergic to or trip over the dog, or the dog might break something, which is why it didn't allow the dog in the store.
David Davis, acting director of the EEOC's St Louis District Office, said that service animals help people with many types of disabilities. Service animals and other reasonable accommodations must not be rejected based on stereotypes or assumptions about the safety or effectiveness of the accommodations.
S.C. took a week off from her job to complete her service dog training. Her manager sent her home when she came back with the dog and again requested accommodations.
According to the lawsuit, she was fired for abandoning her job.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
After filing a suit over contraceptives with health insurance, the company was involved in another legal battle.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 is unconstitutional because it requires for-profit companies to follow regulations that their owners don't like.
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