Daily News

View All News

Jury says staffing firm must pay $184,400

September 23, 2010

A jury in Dallas ruled that staffing firm Smith Personnel Solutions must pay $184,400 to a deaf applicant it turned away for a job as a stock clerk, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Wednesday.

The jury awarded Jacquelyn Moncada $34,400 in lost wages and emotional harm and another $150,000 in punitive damages, according to the EEOC.

The EEOC alleged that Smith refused to hire Moncada because of her deafness. Moncada, bringing along a sign language interpreter, went to Smith seeking work as a stocker but a Smith employee said he had no job for her and that she could be "dangerous" because she "couldn't communicate," according to the EEOC.

Moncada had worked for almost three years as a stock clerk in a previous job and had not experienced problems communicating, according to the EEOC.

A person answering the phone today at Smith Personnel's Dallas office said the company had no comment.