83 | EEOC-INITIATED LITIGATION: 2026 EDITION ©2026 Seyfarth Shaw LLP NOTABLE EEOC TRIAL VICTORIES IN FY 2025 EEOC v. Drivers Management, LLC and Werner Enterprises, Inc., Case No. 8:18-cv-00462 (D. Neb.).129 On November 6, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a trial victory for the EEOC in a disability discrimination case under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The case involved a deaf applicant who was denied employment as a truck driver by Werner Enterprises and its affiliate, Drivers Management. The EEOC alleged that the applicant was fully qualified for the position, having obtained a commercial driver’s license and an exemption from federal physical qualification standards for interstate drivers. The defendants argued that the applicant lacked prior trucking experience and could not safely complete their training program. A jury previously awarded $36 million in punitive damages, which exceeded the statutory cap. The district court reduced the award to $300,000 in punitive damages and approximately $36,000 in back pay, and it ordered the defendants to submit biannual compliance reports to the EEOC for three years. The Eighth Circuit upheld the judgment. EEOC v. Addington Place of St. Petersburg, Case No. 8:23-cv-01987 (M.D. Fla.).130 On November 4, 2025, a federal jury awarded $405,083 to the EEOC in a disability discrimination lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against Addington Place of St. Petersburg, a senior living facility. The EEOC alleged that the facility terminated a long-term employee after she disclosed that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and requested reasonable accommodations. According to the EEOC, the employee had performed her job successfully for years and sought minor adjustments to continue working. Instead of engaging in an interactive process, the employer discharged her. The jury verdict included back pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. The case underscores employers’ obligations to provide reasonable accommodations and avoid discriminatory terminations based on disability. EEOC v. SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Case No. 3:23-cv-02499 (N.D. Tex.).131 On November 4, 2025, a federal trial court in Dallas upheld a jury verdict awarding $300,000 in damages against SkyWest Airlines for disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The EEOC alleged that SkyWest failed to accommodate a flight attendant with a disability and terminated her employment after she requested reasonable accommodations. The jury found that SkyWest’s conduct violated the ADA and awarded the statutory maximum in compensatory and punitive damages. The court denied SkyWest’s post-trial motions, affirming the verdict and emphasizing employers’ obligations to engage in an interactive process and provide accommodations unless doing so would cause undue hardship. 129 https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/appellate-court-affirms-eeoc-disability-trial-victory 130 https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-wins-405083-jury-verdict-against-st-petersburg-senior-living-facility 131 https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/dallas-trial-court-upholds-maximum-damages-award-300000-against-skywest-airlines-inc-eeoc
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