Eeoc, Cowles Settle Disabilities Lawsuit

Tue., March 7, 2000

From Staff Reports

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has settled a disability discrimination lawsuit filed in 1998 on behalf of a blind employee of Cowles Publishing Co.

The EEOC suit was brought on behalf of Monica Stugelmeyer, a part-time employee of the company, which publishes The Spokesman-Review.

Stugelmeyer, 55, alleged in the suit that she was denied a full-time job operating an inserter machine in the newspaper’s mail room.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, accused the company of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The company denied the allegations, but entered into negotiations with the EEOC to resolve the suit.

“Ms. Stugelmeyer’s monetary claims were resolved to the satisfaction of the parties without any admission of liability, and are confidential,” according to an EEOC statement.

As part of the settlement, Cowles Publishing agreed to continue training management and supervisory employees on employment discrimination.

The training will specifically include issues concerning disability discrimination and reasonable accommodations for the disabled, the EEOC statement said.

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