Livingston food company accused of illegally firing disabled workers

Global food products company Sensient Natural Ingredients allegedly terminated employees at its Livingston plant in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

Lawyers with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission say that in 2011, Sensient fired at least five workers who had taken medical leave for treatment of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular illness and other conditions.

The employees were dismissed even though they provided medical verification of either their need for extended leave or their ability to return to work, according to the suit dated Sept. 17.

Maria Rodriguez, one of five former Sensient workers named in the suit, was fired in March 2011 even though her doctors had sent in a report clearing her to return to her job after undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Rodriguez, who began working at Sensient Dehydrated Flavors in Livingston in May 2008, was told she had exceeded the company’s leave policy and needed to provide documentation that she was able to work, the suit says.

At the time, employees were allowed up to seven months of leave.

Other plaintiffs named in the suit are Magdalena Gonzalez, Bertha Montoya, Francisco Cuevas and George Briscoe.

Sensient Dehydrated Flavors later became Sensient Natural Ingredients, which is part of Milwaukee-based Sensient Technologies.

Jack Hammond, general counsel for Sensient Technologies, did not immediately return a call to his office Tuesday.

The lawsuit requests a jury trial that would determine monetary awards to compensate the plaintiffs for lost wages, emotional pain, suffering and other damages. It also demands that Sensient comply with laws protecting the rights of the disabled.

“We are seeing a rise in employers failing to accommodate individuals under the ADA,” Anna Park, the EEOC’s regional attorney in Los Angeles, said in a statement Tuesday. “At a minimum, employers need to engage with workers to assess how to best accommodate their requests.”

Sensient, according to its website, develops and markets flavors and fragrances used in consumer products. Its flavors and fragrances group last year reported revenue of $847 million. Worldwide, Sensient Technologies employs more than 4,000 people.

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Livingston food company accused of illegally firing disabled workers."