Jury: HibTac did not discriminate against deaf man
A federal jury in Duluth says Hibbing Taconite Co. did not discriminate against a deaf job applicant.
The jury deliberated less than two hours before finding Friday that the mining company did not discriminate against James Edstrom, a deaf man from Eveleth.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit on behalf of Edstrom under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
HibTac declined to hire Edstrom as a truck driver or heavy equipment operator. The company argued that Edstrom would have posed a threat to the safety of other workers.
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A spokeswoman for Cliffs Natural Resources, which operates HibTac, says it's clear that jurors understood the facts and "acted accordingly."
An EEOC attorney calls the verdict disappointing but says the agency appreciates the support it received from the deaf community.
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Information from: Duluth News Tribune
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