CRST Expedited, Inc. is facing a lawsuit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly failing to accommodate a veteran with a service dog.
The suit was filed in a Florida federal court on March 2, 2017.
Veteran Says He Informed CRST About Service Dog Before Beginning Training
The complaint alleges that CRST discriminated against veteran Leon Laferriere, who was prescribed a service dog to help him deal with post traumatic stress disorder.
According to the suit, Laferriere after applied to begin a CRST driver training program in Jacksonville. Before leaving his home in Fort Meyer for the training, he reportedly told CRST about his PTSD and his service dog.
Driver Denied Employment Because Of No Pet Policy
Laferriere successfully completed the training program. After the training was complete, CRST informed Laferriere that he could not move onto orientation because of the company’s no pets policy. Laferriere says that CRST declined to hire him.
EEOC Wants CRST To Hire Driver And Pay Back Pay, Damages
The lawsuit also alleges that CRST was in the process of developing a “service dog process” around the time that Laferriere made his request to take his service dog on the road and that CRST did not give him the opportunity to take advantage of the new policy.
The suit argues that CRST was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 when it denied Laferriere employment because of his service dog.
The EEOC is asking CRST to hire Laferriere and to provide him with back pay and damages. The suit would also prevent CRST from “from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities who use a service animal or emotional support animal.”