VitalSource Technologies to Pay $150,000 in EEOC Disability Charge Conciliation

RALEIGH, N.C. - VitalSource Technologies, LLC, a Raleigh-based education technology solution company, agreed to pay $150,000 in compensatory damages and back pay to voluntarily resolve a disability discrimination investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC's charge investigation found reasonable cause to believe that the employee informed the company about her hospitalization and requested leave to cover both her absences and anticipated recovery. The company was aware of her need for leave to accommodate her disability but decided to terminate her in June 2024 because of her medical absences and exhaustion of paid leave.

"An employer must consider providing unpaid leave as a reasonable accommodation so long as it does not create an undue hardship for the employer," said EEOC Raleigh Area Office Director Johnnie Barrett. "The purpose of the ADA's reasonable accommodation obligation is to require employers to change the way things are customarily done to enable employees with disabilities to work."

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations that allow employees to do their jobs, unless the accommodations would create an undue hardship.

Without admitting liability, VitalSource Technologies LLC entered into a conciliation agreement with the employee and the EEOC. In addition to paying the employee $150,000, the company is also required to maintain non-discrimination policies and procedures; conduct training on reasonable disability accommodations in accordance with federal law for employees, managers and human resources personnel; post a notice concerning equal employment opportunity rights; and report its progress to the agency for one year.

For more information on disability discrimination in the workplace, visit https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination-and-employment-decisions .

The EEOC's Raleigh Area Office has jurisdiction over the State of North Carolina counties of Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Person, Pitt, Roberson, Sampson, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne, and Wilson.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .