U.S. settles discrimination lawsuit against Fabco Shoes
Woman in wheelchair claims she was denied entry to Bensonhurst store
A discount shoe store chain has agreed to pay a customer a $10,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Attorney after an employee in its Bensonhurst store allegedly refused entry to the shopper because the woman was in a wheelchair, officials announced.
Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said the federal government had reached a settlement with the owners of Fabco Shoes over violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
The discrimination case centers on claims made by Amal Mohamed, a disabled woman who is confined to a wheelchair. Mohamed alleged that on May 1, 2013, she entered the Fabco branch at 2171 86th St. in Bensonhurst to buy shoes for herself and her children. She stated that a Fabco employee told her she was not permitted in the store because the tires on her motorized wheelchair might soil the store’s carpet.