Fry's Food Stores Settlement for Deaf Discrimination

AG: Arizona Press Releases

Filed April 6th, 2026

Detected April 6th, 2026

Summary

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes secured a $120,000 settlement against Fry's Food Stores for disability discrimination. The Civil Rights Division alleged that Fry's denied a deaf employee a sign language interpreter despite repeated requests, then terminated the employee for insubordination for refusing to sign documents he could not understand. Under the Consent Decree, Fry's must establish relationships with ASL interpreting agencies, train management on disability accommodation laws, and distribute policy information.

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What changed

The Arizona AG's Civil Rights Division filed suit under the Arizona Civil Rights Act alleging that Fry's Food Stores violated disability discrimination law by refusing to provide American Sign Language interpreter services to a deaf employee. Despite repeated requests, Fry's relied on ineffective communication methods including lipreading and written notes, and ultimately terminated the employee for insubordination related to unsigned investigation documents he could not understand. The settlement requires Fry's to pay $120,000 to the aggrieved party and implement a comprehensive compliance program.

Fry's must establish relationships with ASL interpreting agencies capable of providing video remote and in-person interpreting for Arizona employees, train management and HR personnel on disability accommodation requirements under state and federal law, and distribute information on recognizing and addressing reasonable accommodation requests. Employers should review their accommodation policies to ensure effective communication access for deaf employees and maintain relationships with qualified interpreting services.

What to do next

Review employer accommodation policies to ensure compliance with disability discrimination requirements
Establish or verify relationships with qualified ASL interpreting agencies for employee accommodations
Train management and HR staff on providing effective communication to deaf employees

Penalties

$120,000 settlement payable to the aggrieved party

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Mayes Secures $120,000 Settlement Against Fry's Food Stores for Denying Sign Language Interpreter to Deaf Employee

Monday, April 6, 2026

PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes announced today that her office has successfully resolved a disability discrimination lawsuit against Smith's Food and Drug Centers dba Fry's Food Stores ("Fry's") — securing $120,000 for a deaf employee who was denied basic communication support and ultimately fired.

"Civil rights protections are at increasing risk in our country and our state, but my office is committed to protecting all Arizonans from unlawful discrimination," said Attorney General Mayes. "When employers deny effective communication to employees with disabilities, qualified individuals are prevented from meaningful participation in the workforce."

The Arizona Civil Rights Division's suit alleged that Fry's violated the Arizona Civil Rights Act when it refused to provide an American Sign Language interpreter as a reasonable accommodation for a deaf employee, despite repeated requests. Instead, Fry's relied on ineffective means of communication — including lipreading, written notes, and having family members interpret staff trainings — and cited the employee with insubordination for refusing to sign investigation documents he did not understand. The employee was ultimately terminated, in part for that insubordination, without ever being provided effective communication.

In the last fiscal year alone, the Civil Rights Division investigated thousands of allegations of unlawful discrimination and secured over $2 million in remedies for victims across Arizona — making it the state's only civil rights enforcement agency. As federal civil rights protections face increasing uncertainty, the Division remains a critical backstop for Arizonans.

Under the Consent Decree, Fry's agreed to:

Pay $120,000 to the aggrieved party;
Have relationship(s) with one or more American Sign Language interpreting agency (or agencies) with capacity for providing Video Remote Interpreting and in-person interpreting for its Arizona employees;
Train management personnel and human resources staff on Fry’s accommodation process and state and federal laws which prevent disability discrimination; and
Distribute information on recognizing and addressing reasonable accommodation requests, including information on providing effective communication to deaf employees. "The Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General's Office remains steadfast in protecting all Arizonans," Mayes added. "When the federal government turns its back on civil rights, we will not."

Arizona law protects individuals with disabilities from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, and voting. If you believe you have been the victim of discrimination, contact the Civil Rights Division at (602) 542-5263 or submit an intake questionnaire at www.azag.gov/complaints/civil-rights.

This litigation was handled by Senior Litigation Counsel Tarah White and Assistant Attorney General Maura Hilser, with litigation support provided by paralegal Frankie Hensley. The investigation was conducted by Compliance Officer Anne Bali. A copy of the Consent Decree is available here.

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