SALISBURY, N.C. — Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company has agreed to pay $36,000 and make changes to its employment policies to settle a federal disability discrimination lawsuit involving a former employee with multiple sclerosis.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit in September 2025 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. The agency accused Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act in its treatment of former store merchandiser Denise Robinson.
According to the EEOC, Robinson interviewed for a store merchandiser position at the company’s Colfax facility in February 2023. Robinson had a visible limp related to medication she took for multiple sclerosis.
Robinson began working about two weeks after the interview and remained on the job for nearly six weeks. The EEOC alleged the company then required her to undergo a medical examination weeks earlier than other probationary employees.
The examination found Robinson met the physical requirements of the position. The results also noted restrictions involving her right hip and abnormalities in her gait.
Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling placed Robinson on unpaid leave and required her to obtain medical clearance before returning to work. Robinson submitted a note from her doctor on March 30, 2023, clearing her to return. The company rejected the clearance and terminated her employment, according to the EEOC.
Robinson later filed a discrimination complaint with the EEOC. The agency issued a determination in March 2025 accusing the company of violating the ADA before filing the federal lawsuit later that year.
Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling denied the allegations and denied engaging in unlawful employment practices. The company said the medical examination was conducted by an independent third-party physical therapist and denied violating ADA requirements governing employee medical examinations.
The case was resolved through a consent decree filed in May 2026.
Under the settlement, Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling agreed to pay Robinson $36,000 for lost wages and damages. The company must also provide her with a neutral employment reference confirming she met work expectations.
The agreement requires the company to revise its employment policies to explicitly prohibit disability discrimination and medical examinations that violate the ADA. Employees with disabilities must also have a process to request reasonable accommodations.
Warehouse leadership will be required to undergo annual training covering ADA requirements, company policies and reasonable accommodations.
The settlement resolves the lawsuit without a trial. Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling did not admit wrongdoing as part of the resolution.
Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company is affiliated with the Salisbury-based Cheerwine operation. Carolina Beverage Corporation owns the Cheerwine brand and Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company, which handles production and regional distribution.
The federal case was EEOC v. Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Company, Case No. 1:25-cv-00821.
