Employment Law Report
Key Kentucky & Indiana EEOC Cases from 2025—Lessons for Employers in 2026
Several important employment law developments came out of Kentucky and Indiana in 2025. Three cases initiated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) highlight areas of legal risk for employers and underscore compliance priorities in training, discrimination and accommodation.
EEOC v. Holsum of Fort Wayne Inc.
A Fort Wayne bakery agreed to pay $50,000.00 and revise its policies after a disability discrimination lawsuit alleging it failed to reasonably accommodate an employee, forcing her onto medical leave and eventual termination. The bakery maintained a policy prohibiting the use of personal items in its production area. The EEOC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana (Case No. 3:24-CV-00702) alleging that the bakery told the employee that she could no longer use her walker to walk through the facility, as it violated the personal items policy. The employee told the bakery she needed the walker due to her disabilities, but the bakery decided not to grant her an exception and instead asked her to take medical leave. A few months later, the employee was fired because she was not able to return to work without the assistance of her walker.
EEOC v. Bossman Tacos, LLC
In July 2025, Bossman Tacos, LLC, doing business as Boss Man Tacos in Highland, Indiana, was sued by the EEOC for allegedly subjecting female employees to a hostile work environment because of their sex. The suit claims that since at least November 2021, Boss Man Tacos knew that its head chef and other male cooks were sexually harassing female servers. The EEOC alleged that the harassment included trapping women in restrooms and walk-in refrigerators to make unwanted sexual advances, touching them inappropriately, propositioning women for sex, and making lewd and offensive sexual jokes and comments. According to the EEOC, the harassment was so severe that some employees felt compelled to quit. The lawsuit remains pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana (Case No. 2:25-cv-00316).
EEOC v. ALM Freight & LMDmax
The EEOC’s Indianapolis District Office (which oversees Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and parts of Ohio) initiated a suit against ALM Freight, an Amazon Delivery Service Partner, and LMDmax, its staffing affiliate, for rescinding a job offer after a candidate requested an American Sign Language interpreter, alleging a failure to accommodate a disability (Case No. 2:25-cv-13655). The suit alleges that the applicant requested an ASL interpreter for her first-day orientation, and LMDmax, with the approval of ALM, responded with a text message advising the applicant that ALM did not provide interpreters and would not proceed with her hiring.
Claims alleging sex discrimination and harassment, retaliation, and failure to accommodate disabilities continue to carry real financial and compliance consequences for employers. Falling short of federal and state discrimination laws, and failing to properly train and supervise other employees, can result in costly settlements, verdicts, and required changes to company policies. These three cases from 2025 offer clear reminders for employers as they move into 2026.
