EEOC Charges Property Management Company with Retaliation and Discrimination Against Workers with Disabilities

TAMPA, Fla. – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Elon Property Management LLC, a company based in Lakewood, New Jersey, alleging that it retaliated against an employee with a disability and maintained policies that effectively screened out a class of disabled workers (EEOC, 2025).

According to the lawsuit, Elon Property Management retaliated against a district manager by placing her on a performance improvement plan immediately upon returning from a medical leave of absence. The EEOC contends that this punitive action was taken because of a decline in occupancy rates during her absence, thereby penalizing her for taking disability leave.

Moreover, the lawsuit asserts that Elon’s policy of requiring a full-duty release note and a physician-signed job description for employees returning from medical leave disproportionately discriminates against workers who need reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (EEOC, 2025).

Kristen Foslid, a regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District, emphasized the broader impact of such practices: “According to available data, there are over 450,000 Floridians with a disability who are working. In order to retain these workers and comply with the law, employers must allow for a reasonable accommodations process under the ADA” (EEOC, 2025).

Additionally, Tamra Schweiberger, director of the EEOC’s Tampa Field Office, stated, “Employers cannot retaliate against individuals for taking a medical leave of absence. Losing the ability to earn an income after a medical leave is devastating, and the EEOC will vigorously defend the rights of employees against disability discrimination” (EEOC, 2025).

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (EEOC v. Elon Property Management Company, Case No. 8:24-cv-2939), highlights the need for employers to carefully assess and adjust their policies to ensure compliance with federal law. The case underscores the importance of protecting the rights of workers with disabilities and ensuring that company policies do not inadvertently or deliberately create barriers to employment for those who require accommodations.

For more detailed information on disability discrimination, please visit the EEOC’s webpage on the subject .

https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-sues-elon-property-management-disability-discrimination-florida