AMC Theatres to Pay $56,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit

American Multi-Cinema, the parent of AMC Theatres, has agreed to pay $56,000 and change its policies and procedures to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency said.

The EEOC sued AMC on behalf of Marc Gillis, who worked at an AMC location in Owings Mills, Maryland, for 22 years. According to the suit, Gillis was given a new manager who shouted at him, reduced his work hours and did not provide him with reasonable accommodations in the form of a ticket scanner with a strap and side button as well as a large-font printed list showing each movie and which theater it was in. The suit said the manager ultimately stopped putting Gillis on the schedule.

In addition to the payment, AMC will compensate the former employee, revise how it handles requests for reasonable accommodation, and bar discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The company will also train its staff and post an employee notice about disability discrimination.

"From its inception, the ADA has protected the right of people with significant disabilities like cerebral palsy to participate fully in the workforce," said Karen McDonough, acting field office director for the EEOC in Baltimore. "Employers have a legal obligation to provide reasonable accommodations, and the EEOC will hold them accountable when they fail to do so."

Officials with AMC did not respond to a request for comment on the settlement, according to Disability Scoop.