The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Seven Eleven of Hawaii Inc. alleging the state's largest operator of convenience stores had violated a worker's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, claims the company unlawfully discriminated against an employee.

The employee had been employed with the company and had applied for a job with a resort.

When the prospective employer called for a reference, Seven Eleven of Hawaii disclosed the worker had a heart condition.

Seven Eleven of Hawaii, a unit of Seven Eleven Japan Co., declined comment on the case when contacted, saying it had not seen the lawsuit.

The EEOC said it had tried to reach a voluntary settlement before making its court filing.

"Employees should not have to worry that this very sensitive and potentially harmful information will be used by prospective employers to unfairly exclude them from jobs that they could otherwise perform," said Anna Park, an EEOC attorney.

The agency is responsible for enforcing federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, age, disability and national origin.