Maverik, Inc. settles lawsuit after firing HIV-positive employee

A convenience store chain has agreed to pay one-hundred-fifteen-thousand dollars to settle a federal lawsuit alleging it improperly fired an HIV-positive bakery clerk in Wyoming.

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last year sued Maverik, Inc., a Utah-based company that operates gas stations in Wyoming, Utah and other western states. The lawsuit charged the company fired the clerk two weeks after learning he was HIV-positive.

Sean Ratliff is lawyer for the EEOC in Denver. He says the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employers from discriminating based on stereotypes about disabilities. He says being HIV-positive doesn't prevent people from working with food.

David Hancock is a lawyer for Maverik in Salt Lake City. He says the company denies it violated the law and agreed to settle only to avoid further expenses.