The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is scheduled to face a jury over allegations of mishandling a job applicant’s disability accommodation request. The trial follows a previous $11.5 million verdict against SHRM in a race discrimination case. The plaintiff, Fiona Torres, claims SHRM revoked her job offer as a senior specialist because she wanted to bring her medical service dog to work. Torres asserts her dog helps monitor her diabetes more effectively than medical devices.
In its defense, SHRM stated it offered various accommodations, such as using a glucose monitor and insulin pump, and suggested discussing alternatives to the service dog with Torres’ doctor. The jury trial will last four days and is set in Alexandria, Virginia, SHRM’s headquarters. The organization has faced controversy in the past, including policies that penalized tardiness and strict dress codes.
