Texas company cheated disabled Iowa workers, federal agency says

A federal agency says a Texas company cheated its mentally disabled workers who worked at a turkey-processing plant in Iowa.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says Henry's Turkey Service shortchanged the workers by at least $1 million and committed numerous major violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The company housed the men in an old bunkhouse in Atalissa and put them to work at a plant in West Liberty and paid them 41 cents an hour. An investigation was launched in 2009.

One of the company's owners, Kenneth Henry of Proctor, Texas, declined to comment Thursday on the findings.

The EEOC plans to send a proposed settlement to Henry's owners. If rejected, the EEOC can take the company to court.

-- Associated Press

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

• March 23:
• Nov. 17:
• July 6:
• March 31, 2009:
• March 17, 2009:

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

• March 23: Trial date set in West Liberty turkey workers case
• Nov. 17: Labor company sued for underpayment
• July 6: State officials give positive assessment of men from Atalissa bunkhouse
• March 31, 2009: Task force wants registration of boarding houses, other reforms
• March 17, 2009: Some men from Atalissa bunkhouse found to be malnourished