The American Federation of Government Employees is celebrating an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling that it says vindicates a screener removed from his position four years ago.
According to AFGE, an EEOC administrative judge found that a federal security director at Washington Dulles International and an HR specialist designated to handle disability accommodation requests were somewhat oblivious to requirements under the Rehabilitation Act. The judge, the union said, found their justification for denying the disability request to the employee in question to be disingenuous.
The TSA transferred a disabled transportation security officer, who allegedly used a cane to stand and walk, from a teaching position for which he has highly rated to a screening position requiring lots of standing – AFGE says arbitrarily, and illegally.
Some time after the screener requested disability retirement the AFGE filed a complaint on his behalf.
The EEOC agreed that his rights were violated under the Rehabilitation Act, and awarded back pay and $150,000 in compensatory damages, as well as attorney fees. According to the union, the judge also ordered TSA to train the Dulles HR management team on disability rights and post disability rights notices.