Case: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. GMRI, INC.
2:23-cv-01448 | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Filed Date: Aug. 14, 2023
Closed Date: Oct. 9, 2025
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Case Summary
This case concerns alleged hiring discrimination on the basis of a job applicant's disability status.
On August 14, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit on behalf of an individual disabled applicant in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against GMRI, Inc., the owner of Olive Garden. The EEOC alleged that GMRI discriminated against an applicant with ataxia. The EEOC alleged that, during a job interview, the defendant asked the applicant illegal questions about how "bad" his disability was and his use of a cane to walk, and that the defendant did not hire the applicant because of the answers to those questions. The EEOC asserted three counts under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): (1) refusing to hire the charging party on the basis of his disability, (2) making unlawful disability-related inquiries, and (3) refusing to hire the charging party in retaliation for those inquiries. The EEOC sought compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief requiring the defendant not to discriminate in hiring on the basis of disability, and attorneys' fees and costs. The case was assigned to District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
The defendants filed an answer on October 16, 2023 and asserted that their decisions were for non-discriminatory reasons, that the applicant failed to exhaust his administrative remedies, and that the EEOC failed to fulfill the administrative prerequisite of engaging in good faith conciliation prior to filing suit. Between the filing of the answer and April 8, 2024, the parties engaged in settlement negotiations.
On April 8, 2024, the parties filed a joint motion to enter a consent decree. The following day, Judge Ranjan approved the motion and entered the consent decree. The settlement required the defendant not to discriminate in hiring on the basis of disability or make disability-related inquiries during the hiring process. The defendant agreed to pay the disabled applicant $30,000, including $8,000 for backpay and $22,000 for emotional distress. The defendant also agreed to conduct training on one of many proposed ADA-related topics and to submit a report to the EEOC on hiring practices every six months. The consent decree was in effect for 18 months, from April 9, 2024 to October 9, 2025.
Summary Authors
Quin Zapoli (9/3/2026)
Jinan Abufarha (9/14/2026)
People
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67693810/parties/us-equal-employment-opportunity-commission-v-gmri-inc/
Anderson, Delaney E. (Pennsylvania)
Murray, Gregory A. (Pennsylvania)
Phillips, Ronald L. (Pennsylvania)
Brailey, Taylor N. (Pennsylvania)
Hammerstein, Emilie R. (Pennsylvania)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67693810/us-equal-employment-opportunity-commission-v-gmri-inc/
Last updated Sept. 10, 2026, 6:28 p.m.
Docket for: U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION v. GMRI, INC.
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Aug. 14, 2023
Closing Date: Oct. 9, 2025
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Private Entity/Person
GMRI, Inc.
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq.
Other Dockets:
Western District of Pennsylvania 2:23-cv-01448
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff OR Mixed
Relief Sought:
Relief Granted:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Content of Injunction:
Follow recruitment, hiring, or promotion protocols
Provide antidiscrimination training
Amount Defendant Pays: $30,000
Order Duration: 2024 - 2025
Issues
Disability and Disability Rights:
Discrimination Area:
Discrimination Basis:
Disability (inc. reasonable accommodations)
EEOC-centric:
Case Summary of U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. GMRI, INC., Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/45379/ (last updated 9/14/2026).