The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission today sued a Raleigh insurance office for not hiring a recovering drug addict who tested positive for methadone in his system.

The federal anti-discrimination agency's Charlotte office, which filed the case, said that United Insurance Company of America violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by rescinding a job offer to Craig Burns, a Raleigh resident, after he failed his drug test.

According to the suit, Burns applied for an opening as an insurance agent in December 2009 and was hired conditionally the next month, pending the outcome of the drug test.

Burns, 30, had methadone in his system because he is a recovering drug addict who has been enrolled in a supervised treatment program since at least 2004, the suit says.

"We have to set aside our personal feelings and do what the law dictates," said Lynette Barnes, the EEOC's regional attorney in Charlotte. "That's why he's covered by the ADA. He has this impairment that requires him to take the methadone."

Dillard's Inc. will pay $50,000 and offer additional relief to settle an age discrimination suit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a Cary employee.

According to the EEOC's complaint, Dillard's fired Virginia Keene from her position as an area sales manager at the store in Cary in November 2008. At the time she was 61 years old. The company then replaced her with a 24-year-old employee who only had four months of experience as an area sales manager. At the time of her termination, Keene ranked second out of six area sales managers at the Cary store in terms of sales, the EEOC said.

The suit alleged that the Arkansas-based retailer violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits employers from firing workers because of their age.

Dillard's declined to comment.

Belk, Inc. will pay $55,000 to settle a lawsuit that stemmed from a Santa hat.

Belk was the subject of a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in July alledging that the Charlotte-based department store chain unlawfully fired Myra Jones-Abid after she refused to wear a Santa hat and apron during the 2008 holiday season because of her religious beliefs.

Jones-Abid worked in the gift wrapping department at the Belk store in Raleigh's Crabtree Valley Mall. Her religion, Jehovah's Witness, prohibits her from recognizing holidays. She therefore refused to wear the holiday attire while working.

In addition to paying the $55,000 to Jones-Abid, the settlement announced today requires Belk to provide annual training on religious discrimination to all of its managers and supervisors at the Crabtree Valley Mall store. Belk must also post a notice on employees' rights under federal anti-discrimination laws and provide periodic reports to the EEOC on actions taken in response to employees who have requested accommodations due to their religious beliefs.

A Sanford automotive parts manufacturer will pay $36,432 to settle a religious discrimination case filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In its suit, the EEOC accused the company, GKN Driveline North America, with refusing to accomodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of an employee.

According to the suit, filed in U.S. District Court, Dwayne Butler's employer gave employees random drug tests in which employees were required to give a saliva sample. Around July 19, 2007, the company requested such a sample from Butler. However, as a practicing member of the Santeria religion, Butler's religious beliefs prohibited him from providing saliva to anyone for anything other than a religious purpose. Butler informed his company of his beliefs and offered to submit to alternative forms of testing. His employer fired him.

In addition to the monetary settlement, the company is also required now to take other actions, including providing training on religious discrimination and posting an employee notice concerning employees' rights under federal anti-discrimination laws.

A Goldsboro construction company has agreed to pay $47,500 to three laborers it fired for refusing to work on Saturdays, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said this morning.

The EEOC had sued the T.A. Loving Co. for religious discrimination over the dismissal of the three workers. T.A. Loving also has an office in Morrisville.

The employees were fired after they refused to work on Saturdays, citing religious tenets of the Seventh-Day Adventist faith. The church prohibits work on the sabbath, which runs from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday.

The EEOC contended that the construction company could have accommodated the workers' religious needs.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for their workers' religious beliefs unless accommodating the workers would impose an undue hardship on the company.