After a Wisconsin jury determined that Walmart violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when she was fired in 2015, a former Walmart employee with Down syndrome was awarded more than $125 million in punitive damages.

Marlo Spaeth, who was also given $150,000 in compensatory damages by a federal jury in Green Bay, said that schedule modifications exacerbated attendance issues, which led to her dismissal.

"The significant jury verdict in this case sends a clear message to businesses that handicap discrimination is unacceptable in our nation's workplaces," said Charlotte Burrows, chair of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which filed the action against Walmart.

"Employers, regardless of size, are required by law to analyze the particular circumstances of disabled employees when considering requests for reasonable accommodations," said EEOC Chicago District Director Julianne Bowman.

"The verdict will be lowered to $300,000, which is the maximum amount allowed under federal law for compensatory and punitive damages," Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove said in a statement to FOX Business.

"We do not accept any form of discrimination, and we regularly accommodate thousands of associates each year. We frequently change associate schedules to fulfill customer expectations, and while Ms. Spaeth's was changed, it stayed within the periods she specified she was available "He went on to say more. "We understand the gravity of the situation and feel we could have handled it with Ms. Spaeth, but the EEOC's expectations were unrealistic."

According to the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, the lawsuit requested that the court order Walmart to restore Spaeth with back pay.

Spaeth worked at Walmart for about 16 years until being fired in 2015 from the company's Manitowoc location owing to persistent absenteeism. According to the federal lawsuit, changes to her work schedule following the adoption of a new computerized system in 2014 caused her great hardship.

According to the lawsuit, Spaeth's illness necessitates her adhering to a strict daily regimen. Spaeth requested that her previous work schedule of midday to 4 p.m. be reinstated, claiming that she would become ill if she did not eat supper at the same time every night.

"When she requested that her start and finish times be changed by 60 to 90 minutes and that she be reinstated to her prior schedule," the EEOC said, adding that Spaeth "had routinely earned excellent performance ratings from her bosses, according to evidence shown at trial."

According to the EEOC, the jury determined that Walmart failed to accommodate Spaeth's impairment and fired her as a result, which is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Find details information here at walmartone.com.

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