Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and parent company Caesars Entertainment have agreed to pay $150,000 to a former blackjack dealer who was allegedly fired after suffering a heart attack during a night shift.
The settlement, approved Tuesday (Nov. 3) by US District Judge Brendan A. Hurson, resolves a disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the casino operators.
Under the agreement, which is not an admission of wrongdoing by the defendants, former dealer Quann Massey will receive $130,000 in compensatory and punitive damages and $20,000 in back pay, to be paid within 30 days.
Heart Attack on Casino Floor
Massey joined the casino in December 2022 and became a blackjack dealer in April 2023. Just days after taking up his new position, he suffered a heart attack while working on the casino floor and was admitted to a cardiac intensive care unit.
According to the EEOC, casino management and human resources were notified of Massey’s heart attack, his continued hospitalization, and his need for surgery and medical leave.
Massey also inquired about arrangements for his return to work, including the possibility of “alternate schedules, work hours, and other job modifications and accommodations.”
Instead, a table games manager allegedly told Massey that “he should not return to work if he had any medical restrictions.”
The EEOC claimed the companies subsequently fired Massey without informing him, and then refused to reinstate or rehire him, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The commission filed its lawsuit in December 2025 after efforts to resolve the dispute through its administrative process failed.
Three Years of Oversight
In addition to the financial settlement, the agreement imposes three years of monitoring and workplace compliance requirements at Horseshoe Baltimore.
Managers, supervisors, and human resources personnel will undergo at least three hours of disability discrimination training, while other employees will receive at least two hours.
The casino must also keep detailed records of disability discrimination complaints, requests for workplace accommodations, and how those requests are handled, which must be submitted to the EEOC every 120 days.
The agency will also be permitted to inspect the casino’s premises and records and interview personnel, subject to advance notice.
The settlement resolves the EEOC’s lawsuit but does not resolve any individual legal claims Massey may still have against the companies.
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