McDonald’s to pay $56,500 for not interviewing deaf job applicant

BELTON, Mo. — McDonald’s will pay a $56,500 settlement after a southeast Missouri restaurant manager refused to interview a deaf job applicant.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the settlement Tuesday with McDonald’s Corp. and McDonald’s Restaurants.

The EEOC says a young man who can’t hear or speak applied online in 2012 to work at a store in Belton, Missouri. He had previous experience as a cook and cleanup team member at a McDonald’s in another state.

A lawsuit filed by the EEOC says when the restaurant manager learned the applicant needed a sign language interpreter for his interview, she canceled the interview, even though the applicant’s sister volunteered to interpret.

McDonald’s said in a statement that it is “committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, including employing people with disabilities.” It also disputes the EEOC version of what happened, but is satisfied with the settlement.