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Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Co. is being sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over claims that an employee was terminated because of her disability.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in the federal Middle District of N.C. The EEOC is representing Denise Robinson, a former employee at Cheerwine's facility at 2913 Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax.

Cheerwine could not be immediately reached for comment on the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Robinson takes medication for multiple sclerosis. The medicine had a side effect of causing deterioration in the cartilage in her hip, the suit says.

As a result, she walks with a limp.

Robinson began working at Cheerwine as a store merchandiser through a staffing agency on February 12, 2023. Her employment was terminated on

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