Sunny Skies Child Care, a daycare chain operating four facilities in the Detroit Metro area, has settled a discrimination suit with the US Attorney’s office in Detroit.
The daycare previously expelled a child upon learning she had a peanut allergy which prompted the complaint against Sunny Skies.
Food allergies are considered a disability under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government’ programs and services.
Under the agreement, Sunny Skies agreed to change its policies to stop discriminating against any child because of a disability including food allergies. The company also agreed to train staff on provisions of the ADA as well as pay compensatory damages to the family.
Said US Attorney Matthew Schneider in a statement regarding the settlement:
Parents across Michigan rely on child care in order to work or go to school, and they expect that their children will not be denied access to care simply because of their child’s disability. We are thankful to Sunny Skies Child Care for their cooperation in our investigation, and we are pleased that children with disabilities will continue to have access to quality child care under this settlement.
- Metro Detroit Day Care Center Settles Peanut Allergy Discrimination Case — Deadline Detroit
- Americans with Disabilities Act — US Department of Labor
