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The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has been sued by a woman who claims the organization rescinded a job offer after she requested to bring a medical service dog into the workplace.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Virginia by Fiona Torres, alleges that SHRM violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by withdrawing an offer for a senior specialist role in its product management department at its Alexandria, Virginia office.
The complaint comes less than two weeks after SHRM was ordered to pay a massive $11.5million in damages in a separate race discrimination and retaliation case.
Job offer and accommodation dispute
According to the lawsuit, SHRM offered Torres the position in June 2024 and revoked the offer the following month after learning that she planned to bring her medical service dog to the office.
Torres said she has diabetes and that the dog can detect changes in her blood sugar levels faster and more reliably than a top tier glucose monitor.
The complaint alleges that SHRM proposed an alternative accommodation that would allow Torres to keep food, water, and an insulin pump at her desk. Torres said she viewed that option as inadequate given her medical needs.
“I was ready and able to work,” Torres said in an email to Business Insider sent through her attorney. “They said they were eager to have me until they found out I had a disability and a service dog.”
The lawsuit cites an email from SHRM rejecting her accommodation request.
“[I]t does not appear there are any reasonable accommodations that would allow you to perform the essential functions of the role,” SHRM wrote, according to the complaint.
SHRM response and legal context
SHRM spokesperson Eddie Burke declined to comment on the specific allegations, saying the organization was reviewing the lawsuit.
“We support the ADA and are actively committed to supporting employees through fair, respectful, and legally compliant accommodation processes,” Burke said. “We fully complied with the ADA in this matter and, in consultation with outside legal counsel, met all of our obligations to provide reasonable accommodations to Fiona Torres.”
Lori Kisch, an attorney representing Torres, described the allegations as particularly striking given SHRM’s role in advising HR professionals on employment law.
“They can’t argue that they don’t understand the law, and their actions are a reckless indifference to the law,” Kisch said.
The lawsuit follows a recent jury verdict against SHRM in a case brought by a former employee, Rehab Mohamed, who alleged race discrimination and retaliation. Mohamed, a Black and Egyptian instructional designer, claimed she was held to higher standards than white colleagues.
A jury found SHRM liable and awarded $11.5million in damages. SHRM has said it plans to appeal the verdict, saying it “does not reflect the facts, the law, or the truth of how” the organization operates.
