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The government awards contracts to companies with histories of misconduct such as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations. In the absence of a centralized federal database listing instances of misconduct, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is providing such data. We believe that it will lead to improved contracting decisions and public access to information about how the government spends hundreds of billions of taxpayer money each year on goods and services. Report an instance of misconduct »

FedEx Corporation

Violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Date: 03/02/2006 (Date of Jury Verdict)

Misconduct Type: Labor

Enforcement Agency: EEOC

Contracting Party: None

Court Type: Civil

Amount: $108,000

Disposition: Judgment Against Defendant

Synopsis: On March 2, 2006, a federal jury "found in favor of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in its employment discrimination lawsuit against Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 USC §12101, et. seq.). EEOC had charged the Memphis, Tenn.-based global shipping giant with failing to provide a reasonable accommodation to Ronald Lockhart, a profoundly deaf employee who worked as a package handler at the company's Baltimore Ramp. The suit charged Federal Express with violating the ADA when it failed to provide reasonable accommodations to Lockhart in the form of American Sign Language interpreters, despite his repeated requests. The jury found FedEx liable for punitive damages in the amount of $100,000 for its knowing failure to accommodate Lockhart as well as compensatory damages of $8,000 for the loss of the accommodation itself." In January 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the jury’s award.