Down Syndrome sufferer Marlo Spath gave 16 years of her working life to Walmart. But America’s largest private employer wasn’t as loyal in return, firing her rather than accommodate her disability. Backed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Spath got her job back yesterday with $50,000 in back pay after a five-year legal battle.
But the $125 million fine imposed by jurors was reduced to a statutory maximum of just $300,000, and Judge William Griesbach denied the commission’s request that Walmart train managers to understand the Americans with Disabilities Act and educate employees about their legal rights.
The bad publicity was punishment enough.
Stevenson said in an interview with CNBC in July that when her sister lost her job, she lost her focus. She didn’t answer the phone or pose for a photo. She covered her head with her hands when the Walmart commercial was shown on TV.
“It was nothing short of an injury,” Stevenson said in an interview. “It was hard, very hard to watch.”
$50,000 representing five years of lost wages (on which Spaet will now have to pay taxes) really proves how grim this case is. Consider how much the company must have spent over the past five years fighting this disabled woman tooth and nail.