A New Jersey nursing home has agreed to a $75,000 settlement to resolve charges that it discriminated against a potential employee because of his deafness, federal authorities announced Monday.

Managers at the 124-bed Holly Manor Center in Mendham initially hired the deaf applicant, Stefan Denisiuk, for a dietary aide/assistant cook position, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. However, Denisiuk subsequently was “grilled about his ability to communicate” by different managers at the Genesis Healthcare-operated facility, and the job offer was rescinded, the EEOC charged.

Holly Manor also has agreed to change its job descriptions and train its human resources staff on compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to an EEOC press release.

“We are pleased that Holly Manor worked with us to resolve this matter at an early stage of the litigation, committing to prevent disability discrimination in its hiring decisions in the future and agreeing to compensate Mr. Denisiuk for the injustice he suffered,” stated Jeffrey Burstein, supervisory trial attorney in the EEOC’s Newark Area Office.

Both Holly Manor and Genesis HealthCare are equal opportunity employers and “do not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” Genesis emphasized in a statement emailed to McKnight’s.