The US District Court of New Jersey heard Joseph Pugliese’s case against William Hill and its owner Caesars Entertainment who stand accused of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Pugliese was employed as a cashier and ticket writer at the Oceanport, New Jersey location of British bookmaker William Hill, which was rebranded Caesars Sportsbook after its $4bn acquisition in April.
He was hired in October 2020 but was allegedly forced to quit the following January after suffering “intolerable pain” as his “repeated requests for accommodations had fallen on deaf ears”.
Pugliese is afflicted by arthritis, which affects his back, and at times limits him from performing some daily life activities, such as walking, sitting for any protracted timespan and working.
He told the Court that his job required him to sit for extended periods in a chair, however, the one provided was “uncomfortable”.
The plaintiff added that it was “not conducive to sitting for long periods of time and exacerbated his aforesaid serious health conditions, causing him severe pain to his back.”
But despite requesting a more appropriate chair, Pugliese asserts that his employers declined and stated, should they replace his, “they would have to do expend several thousands of dollars to give new chairs to all their staff.”
As a result, Pugliese claims that he could no longer work and had no choice but to resign on 6 January. He believes this decision constitutes ‘constructive discharge’ under the ADA and is seeking an order prohibiting discrimination and retaliation in the future against any employees, as well as punitive damages and reimbursement for all pay and benefits he would have otherwise received.
