Federal authorities accused a St. Paul printing and packaging company of ordering a longtime employee to see a doctor for his depression and then firing him for his disability.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Impressions Inc. in federal court in St. Paul under provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Impressions is denying the EEOC's allegations.
Before his firing, Justin Cadmus worked for 10 years as a press helper for Impressions and was rated a top performer, said Julianne Bowman, director for the EEOC's Chicago District office, who supervised the investigation for the suit.
In 2014, a family doctor diagnosed the 32-year-old Cadmus with depression, the federal agency said. His supervisor became aware that Cadmus had stopped taking his antidepressants and in April 2015 told him to see a doctor, then a psychologist and go back on medication, the EEOC said.
Although Cadmus, of Hudson, Wis., complied with "these unlawful directives, which were not justified by business necessity, he was fired because of his depression," the EEOC said in a statement.
Impressions co-owner Mike Jorgensen said Wednesday afternoon that the accusations against his company "are unfounded. We've been in this business for 50 years and we've never had a single problem. I can't believe what the EEOC [is alleging]."
The conduct alleged in the suit violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability, which can include requiring unnecessary medical examinations and firing an employee because of disability.
