Federal Lawsuit Alleges Fluent Servicing Fired Employee Instead of Providing Reasonable Accommodation
TAMPA, Fla. – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a federal lawsuit against Fluent Servicing, LLC, a Tampa-based medical marijuana company, for alleged disability discrimination.
The lawsuit claims the company failed to provide a reasonable accommodation for an employee with a disability and subsequently fired her, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
According to the EEOC’s complaint, the employee experienced a seizure at work and called out sick for a few days. She was then instructed by Fluent to provide a doctor’s note before returning to her job.
The employee complied, and the note included a request for a reasonable accommodation. However, instead of engaging in a discussion about the accommodation, the company allegedly terminated the employee in March 2024.
“Employers that receive requests for reasonable accommodations must engage in an interactive process to identify and provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, absent undue hardship,” said Kristen Foslid, a regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District. “This is not only basic fairness, but also a matter of federal law, which EEOC will enforce.”
The EEOC’s lawsuit (EEOC v. Fluent Servicing, LLC, Civil Action No. 8:25-cv-02522-JLB-SPF) was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. The EEOC is seeking back pay, compensatory and punitive damages for the former employee, as well as an injunction to prevent future acts of discrimination by the company.
Tamra Schweiberger, Director of the EEOC’s Tampa Field Office, focused on the agency’s commitment to enforcing the ADA.
“There is a long-standing employment gap between working-age people with disabilities and those without disabilities. The EEOC will continue to aggressively enforce the ADA to ensure that Americans with disabilities have equal access to employment,” she stated.
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