Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger will settle a lawsuit a federal agency filed in 2021, which accused the health system of discriminating against employees with disabilities, for $450,000.
The lawsuit alleged Geisinger, the system’s foundation and one of its hospitals in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., denied accommodations to employees with disabilities, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC accused the system of limiting job-protected leave to a specific duration and changing job postings to prevent individuals with disabilities from attaining their previous position or a new one.
Geisinger and the commission have entered a consent decree to resolve the lawsuit, according to court documents filed Feb. 17.
Geisinger, which operates 10 hospital campuses and a health plan, told Becker’s the consent decree “does not constitute an admission of any wrongdoing by Geisinger,” adding the agreement “will help us move forward and continue to focus on our core mission of delivering exceptional healthcare services.”
In the consent decree, Geisinger agreed to pay $450,000 to settle the case and submit reports to the EEOC about employees terminated after they took leave.
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