PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Newberg funeral chapel has agreed to pay $62,500 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The agency said Wednesday that Attrell's Newberg Funeral Chapel violated federal law when it refused to let an amputee continue working as a secretary once she needed a wheelchair.
According to the suit, Attrell's fired Barbara Jackson before seeing if she could handle the tasks she had performed for almost two years. Moreover, Attrell's said having an employee in a wheelchair might make their grieving clients feel bad.
Besides paying the money, Attrell's agreed to implement anti-discrimination policies and procedures. It will provide the EEOC with periodic reports on its compliance.
