AUSTIN, Texas - The US government is suing the Starbucks coffee company for firing a barista in El Paso, Texas because she is a dwarf.

When the employee asked for a stool or small stepladder to perform her job, Starbucks denied the request and fired her that same day, claiming that she could be a danger to customers and workers, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

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The commission, which filed the lawsuit on Monday, said that Starbucks violated federal law by denying a reasonable accommodation to the employee, who was hired in July 2009 and was fired after three days of training.

"Starbucks has become a virtual icon of modern American culture, appealing to an incredibly diverse customer base," Robert Canino, a commission lawyer in Dallas, said in a statement. "We'd hope that when considering hiring a person with a disability, Starbucks would choose to enhance its brand with the mark of equal opportunity and access."

Stacey Krum, a spokeswoman for Starbucks, said that because the litigation is pending, she could not discuss specifics of the case. But she said the company takes the commission's concerns very seriously.

"We certainly have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind," Krum told Reuters. "We're very proud of our track record of hiring partners with a variety of disabilities."