October 6, 2011
Office of The Attorney General
– Paula T. Dow, Attorney General
Division on Civil Rights
– Gary LoCassio, Acting Director
Media Inquiries-
Lee Moore
609-292-4791
Citizen Inquiries-
609-292-4925
Under terms of the settlement, approximately 600 cab drivers who work in Atlantic City will undergo training provided by the Division on Civil Rights and focused on both the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination ( LAD) and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as their individual obligations as cab drivers under both laws. The training effort – mandatory for Yellow Cab employees — is being coordinated with the Atlantic City Department of Licenses and Inspections.
The settlement announced today resolves a complaint filed against Yellow Cab by Thomas R. Schierioth, of Atlantic City, in the wake of alleged disability-based discrimination that occurred twice in the same day on July 10, 2010. Schierioth, who is regularly assisted by a guide dog due to his blindness, contacted Yellow Cab and asked to be picked up at his home. When the taxi arrived to transport him, Shierioth alleged, he tried to enter the cab with his guide dog and was told by the driver, "no dog, no dog." The driver subsequently drove away.
Schierioth apparently got to his destination – the Showboat Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City – by other means, but contacted Yellow Cab several hours later seeking a ride home. According to Schierioth’s complaint, a different Yellow Cab driver arrived in response to his call but the result was the same — upon seeing Shierioth and his guide dog, the driver refused them service and drove away. Shierioth later reported the incident to the Mercantile Association of Atlantic City, and filed a complaint with the Division on Civil Rights in September 2010.
“The alleged actions attributed to the Yellow Cab employees in this case are troubling,” said Attorney General Paula T. Dow. “They are taxi drivers, and they reportedly denied transportation to a blind person who was accompanied by a guide dog to assist with his disability. We are committed to ensuring equal access for all persons.”
Said Acting Division on Civil Rights Director Gary LoCassio, “This is an important settlement because it will help generate greater awareness. The training provided by our Division will make clear to every driver working in Atlantic City that denying a ride to a disabled person who requires a guide dog is illegal, and will not be tolerated.”
Under terms of the settlement, Yellow Cab makes no admission of wrongdoing.
According to Acting Director LoCassio, the cab driver training (mandatory for Yellow Cab drivers), will be provided over a period of three weeks in October. The training started yesterday (Wednesday, Oct. 5) and will run through Oct. 26. Training will take place in the Casino Control Commission headquarters building, and will be provided by Assistant Director Philip Freeman, who oversees the Division on Civil Rights’ Bureau of Prevention, Outreach and Public Education, and Division Community Relations Coordinator Esther Nevarez.
While a major focus of the training will be on the handling of persons with disabilities who require guide or service dogs, all areas of unlawful discrimination, as well as harassment prevention, will be discussed. According to LoCassio, the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections will continue working closely with the Division to ensure that all Yellow Cab drivers in the city attend the upcoming training sessions.
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