Bookstore in California Faces Disability Discrimination Lawsuit from EEOC

On September 25, 2025, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a lawsuit against Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, a national company that is headquartered in New Jersey. The EEOC contends that the employer failed to make a good faith effort to provide an effective reasonable accommodation to a worker who had been diagnosed with post-partum depression. She was eventually terminated from her position. Here, our California employment attorney for employers highlights key lessons employers can take from this case.

Case Review: EEOC Workplace Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

In September 2025, the EEOC filed a workplace disability discrimination lawsuit on behalf of an employee in a federal court in California. The lawsuit alleges that the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it failed to accommodate an employee with postpartum depression. Notably, that worker was later fired. She was employed at the company’s store in Hayward, California. She went into pre-term labor in February of 2021. Subsequently, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression. She asked human resources for unpaid leave beyond the 90-day cap set by company policy. The EEOC contends that rather than making a good faith effort to explore reasonable accommodations, the company encouraged her to resign and, after she declined to do so, terminated her.

Three Things that Employers Can Learn About the Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

1.    Pregnancy-Related Conditions Are Protected Under the ADA 

To start, employers in California should know that postpartum depression and other pregnancy-related medical conditions can qualify as disabilities under the ADA. Employers must treat requests for accommodation seriously. There is an intersection between pregnancy-related conditions and disabilities. California’s workplace protections for pregnant workers may also play a very important role.

2.    Employers Should Be Prepared to Engage in an Interactive Process

The ADA requires employers to communicate in good faith with employees requesting accommodations. Encouraging resignation instead of discussing options violates this duty. Indeed, when a worker makes a request for a reasonable accommodation for a disability, an employer should always be prepared to engage in a good faith, interactive bargaining process. For the purposes of proving compliance, documentation of the process is essential. 

3.    A Personalized Assessment of the Employee’s Situation is a Must 

Employers must evaluate each accommodation request on its own merits. Undue hardship is the most common valid basis for denial. A rigid application of company policy exposes employers to a significant risk of liability. It is always best to consider the employee’s specific disability, their request, and the impact that it will have on the company. 

Call Our California Employment Lawyer for Employers Today

At Sloat Law Group, APC, our California employment attorney protects the interests of businesses and organizations. If you have any questions about a disability discrimination issue, please do not hesitate to contact us today for a fully confidential consultation. Our team helps employers solve problems, ideally before they arise at all. We work with employers in the Coachella Valley, Riverside County, and throughout all of California.

Source:

 eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-sues-barnes-noble-college-booksellers-disability-discrimination