Jamison Shaw, Inc., a hair salon based in Atlanta, will pay $27,500 to settle a disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought by the EEOC.  

According to the EEOC's suit, in March 2012, Chiquita Cheek asked her employer for an accommodation because of her scoliosis.  She asked for a mat to stand on while performing her work, which would have alleviated pain in her back. When the employer refused to grant Cheek the accommodation, Cheek complained that she was being subjected to discrimination.  Cheek, who had worked for the employer since October 2011, was immediately terminated after complaining about disability discrimination.  

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employers from discriminating due to an employee's disability, and requires that employers provide a reasonable accommodation to enable employees to perform their work.  It also prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee for complaining about discriminatory conduct.

The consent decree settling the suit, in addition to the monetary relief, includes provisions for equal employment opportunity training and reporting and posting of anti-discrimination notices.