EEOC Verdicts and Settlements

This post is another “catch-up” for having missed two months of EEOC verdicts and settlements. We start by noting that other blogs have observed here and here that the EEOC filed some 32 lawsuits in the last week. Apparently the government’s fiscal year ends September 30 and there is a rush to get them on file. More after the break.

CA – Hometown Buffet, Inc. entered into a $710,000 settlement with the EEOC in a class action filed on behalf of female employees who alleged they were subject to a sexually hostile workplace.

PA – AT&T agreed to a $75,000 settlement in a race discrimination and retaliation suit filed by the EEOC on behalf of an African American employee who alleged he was not promoted due to his race.

NC – A condominium support services company agreed to a $44,700 settlement in a race and national origin discrimination suit filed on behalf of six African American employees who alleged they were terminated from the company’s housekeeping service because of their race and replaced with Hispanic workers.

KY – A Golden Corral restaurant settled with the EEOC for $60,000 in a sexual harassment suit filed on behalf of seven female employees who claimed they were harassed by their male co-workers.

CO – CDI Media agreed to a $65,000 settlement in a disability discrimination suit filed on behalf of an employee with Parkinson’s disease.

CO – Home Depot U.S.A., Inc. settled with the EEOC for $84,750 in a retaliation suit brought on behalf of a former employee who alleged she was retaliated against for filing a sex discrimination charge in 2004.

TN – Regis Corporation agreed to a $26,250 settlement in a religious discrimination suit brought on behalf of an employee who had requested a religious accommodation and was refused.

NY – Grand Central Partnership, Inc. settled with the EEOC for $40,000 in a religious and national origin discrimination suit brought on behalf of four public safety officers who were refused a religious accommodation with regard to the company’s grooming policy.

PA – Advance Auto Parts agreed to a $40,000 settlement in a race discrimination suit filed on behalf of an African American employee who was subjected to disparate treatment due to his race.

TX – A drilling company agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a racial harassment and retaliation suit brought on behalf of white and African American employees who claimed they were harassed by Hispanic workers because of their race.

CO – A drilling company agreed to a $45,000 settlement in a racial harassment suit filed by the EEOC on behalf of a Native American employee who alleged he was harassed because of his race.

IL – A packaging and warehousing company agreed to pay $57,000 to settle a race discrimination and retaliation suit brought on behalf of an African American employee who alleged he was not provided the same pay raise and health insurance coverage as his white co-workers.

NC – R-Anell Housing Group, LLC agreed to a $200,000 settlement with the EEOC in a sex discrimination suit brought on behalf of a female applicant who was denied employment.

TX – An insurance agency agreed to pay $30,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination suit filed on behalf of a female applicant who was denied employment because she was pregnant.

WA – A go-kart racing company agreed to a $50,000 settlement in a disability discrimination suit brought on behalf of an employee with cystic fibrosis who was refused an accommodation and then terminated due to his disability.

MO – The St. Louis Rams agreed to pay $134,000 in a disability discrimination suit brought by the EEOC on behalf of an employee with a seizure disorder who was terminated from his position as an assistant trainer.

PA – PetSmart, Inc., agreed to a $125,000 settlement in a sexual harassment and retaliation suit brought on behalf of female employees who claimed they were sexually harassed by their manager and subject to retaliation for complaining about the harassment.

NH – An auto parts manufacturing company will pay $80,000 to settle an age discrimination suit filed by the EEOC on behalf of an applicant who was refused employment because of his age.

OR – Wilcox Farms agreed to a $260,000 settlement in a sexual harassment and retaliation suit brought on behalf of a female employee who alleged she was harassed by her supervisor and then retaliated against for complaining about the harassment.

WA – Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, Inc. settled with the EEOC for $1.72 million in a sexual harassment and retaliation suit brought on behalf of three former employees who alleged they were harassed by male and female managers and co-workers.

AL – Rexam Beverage Can Americas, Inc., agreed to pay $30,000 to settle a race and national origin discrimination suit filed by the EEOC on behalf of a Hispanic employee who alleged he was discriminated against because of his race.

MS – A Sonic Drive-In Franchisee entered into a $22,000 settlement with the EEOC in a disability discrimination suit filed on behalf of an employee who had experienced an epileptic seizure at home.

TN – Taco Bell Corporation agreed to a $350,000 settlement in a sexual harassment suit filed on behalf of two female workers who were assaulted by a former manager.

NC – A gas station and convenience store chain agreed to pay $75,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation suit brought by the EEOC on behalf of a female employee who was subjected to a sexually hostile work environment and then retaliated against for complaining about the harassment.

September 2009

MD – Mars Supermarkets, Inc. agreed to a $275,000 settlement in a class action suit for sex discrimination brought on behalf of a female employee who was denied a position as a meat cutter. Mars has also agreed to extend job offers to other women who were denied positions as meat cutters.

WI – St. Joseph’s Community Hospital agreed to pay $70,000 to settle a disability discrimination suit filed by the EEOC on behalf of a nurse who was terminated for taking time off to recover from seizures associated with her diabetes.

MS – KLLM Transport Services, Inc. settled a disability discrimination suit for $56,500 that was brought on behalf of a truck driver who was denied a job due to his prosthetic leg.

AZ – L&W Supply Corp. agreed to a settlement of nearly $50,000 in a racial discrimination suit brought on behalf of an African American employee who was demoted to a lower-paying job because of his race.

NY – Atlantic Chevrolet/Cadillac agreed to pay $127,500 to settle a racial harassment suit brought by the EEOC on behalf of two African American employees who were subject to a racially hostile work environment.

MS – A trucking company agreed to a $55,000 settlement in a retaliation suit brought by the EEOC on behalf of a dispatcher who was retaliated against for complaining about racial discrimination.

TX – An oilfield service company agreed to pay $60,000 to settle a race and national origin discrimination and retaliation suit filed on behalf of a Caucasian employee who was subject to a hostile work environment due to his race and then terminated for complaining about the harassment.

MO – Allstate Insurance Company agreed to a $4.5 million settlement with the EEOC in an age discrimination suit filed on behalf of 90 former employees who claimed that Allstate’s one-year hiring moratorium disproportionately impacted older workers.

NC – R.S. Braswell Company agreed to pay $21,000 to settle a racial harassment and retaliation suit brought on behalf of an African American employee who was subject to a racially hostile work environment and then terminated when he complained to management about it.

AZ – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a $241,708 federal jury verdict in favor of the EEOC in a retaliation suit brought against a software company who terminated a Muslim employee for complaining about religion and national origin discrimination.

AK – The Alaska affiliate of the National Education Association agreed to pay $170,000 to settle a gender harassment suit brought on behalf of four female employees who alleged they were harassed due to their gender. This is the EEOC’s second gender-based harassment suit against the affiliate.

TN – Staybridge Suites agreed to a $27,500 settlement in a religious discrimination suit brought on behalf of a former employee who was denied a religious accommodation and then terminated because of her religious beliefs.

TX – Greater Metroplex Interiors, Inc. agreed to pay $60,000 to settle a sex discrimination and retaliation suit filed by the EEOC on behalf of a former female employee who was subject to sexual harassment in the workplace and then fired for complaining about it.

AZ – A credit card processing company agreed to a $415,000 settlement in a race harassment suit filed on behalf of a group of African American employees who were subject to a racially hostile work environment by their supervisors.

PA – Penn Taco, Inc. will pay $35,000 to settle a class sexual harassment suit filed on behalf of female employees who alleged they were subject to harassment by the general manager.

CA – UPS Freight agreed to a $120,000 settlement with the EEOC in a gender-based harassment and retaliation suit brought on behalf of a female employee who was subject to harassment in the workplace and then terminated after she reported the conduct.

MD – A private elementary school agreed to pay $75,750 to settle a disability discrimination suit brought by the EEOC on behalf of a teacher who was fired after the school learned he was HIV positive.