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On March 17, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice signed an out of court settlement agreement with Ready to Work, LLC, a Colorado homeless services provider, to resolve allegations that Ready to Work had discriminated against a program participant who took medication to manage her opioid use disorder.
The Department’s Civil Rights Division opened this investigation after receiving a complaint that in 2019 Ready to Work had refused its services to a potential participant because she used suboxone to treat her opioid use disorder. Because opioid use disorder is a disability covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), refusing services to the complainant because of the medication she took to treat it was a violation of that statute.
In the public settlement agreement, Ready to Work agreed to take several steps to comply with the ADA. It promised to obey the law, adopt an anti-discrimination policy, and train its employees on their ADA obligations annually. Both the policy and the training were to be approved by the Department. During the agreement’s three year term, Ready to Work had to submit annual reports on its compliance with the settlement and notify the Department immediately if it refused its programing to any person with opioid use disorder or was the subject of any lawsuit or complaint regarding its ADA compliance. Ready to Work also agreed to pay the complainant $7500. The agreement also allowed the Department to enforce its terms in federal court.
Summary Authors
Jonah Hudson-Erdman (4/11/2022)
Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:46 p.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Colorado
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Ready to Work, LLC (Boulder, Boulder), Private Entity/Person
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12111 et seq.
Special Case Type(s):
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Amount Defendant Pays: 7500
Order Duration: 2022 - 2025
Content of Injunction:
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Issues
General:
Disability and Disability Rights:
Discrimination-area:
Discrimination-basis:
Disability (inc. reasonable accommodations)
Medical/Mental Health: