EEOC Sues Pearson Education for Disability Discrimination

NEWARK, N.J. — Pearson Education, Inc., an educational publishing and services company producing textbooks, online courseware and testing/assessment services, violated federal law when it failed to provide employees who are blind or have other visual impairments with equal access to employee benefits, performance, leave information and required trainings, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a federal lawsuit today.

According to the EEOC’s suit, Pearson contracted with third-party vendors to provide online platforms employees must use to access information for their benefits, leave and training. However, employees who are blind or have other visual impairments and rely on screen reading software could not view their information because these online portals were replete with technical issues, making them inaccessible. Pearson was aware of this deficiency but failed to provide affected employees with reasonable accommodations allowing them to have equal access to the terms, conditions and privileges of their employment relationship.

The EEOC’s suit also alleged Pearson discriminated against employees needing screen reading software by participating in a contractual arrangement or relationship subjecting these employees to discrimination.

This alleged conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination due to disability. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (Civil Action No. 2:25-cv-12214), seeking monetary relief for workers harmed by Pearson’s alleged unlawful conduct and an order prohibiting future discriminatory conduct against employees who are blind or have other vision impairments.

“The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that employers provide reasonable accommodations with respect to all aspects of the employment relationship, even if the employee is otherwise able to perform the essential job functions of their position with or without an accommodation,” said Kimberly Cruz, regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District Office. “There is no more fundamental term, condition or privilege of employment than an employee’s ability to access information relating to their benefits, leave or performance.”

Acting EEOC New York District Director Arlean Nieto said, “Employees with vision impairments are entitled to accommodations that provide them with equal access to their employee benefits information and trainings as enjoyed by employees without such impairments. The EEOC is committed to enforcing the ADA to protect the rights of all workers.”

For more information on disability discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination.

Pearson is headquartered in New Jersey, with corporate offices in several other locations.

The EEOC’s New York District Office has jurisdiction over New York, northern New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.