Each month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) files lawsuits and settles cases covering the federal laws they are responsible for enforcing. These federal laws include:
Below is a list of lawsuits and settlements by the EEOC in from May 1 to May 15, 2024.
EEOC Lawsuits
The Cleaning Authority-Fox Valley to Pay $200,000 to Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit
Sex discrimination; Sexual harassment; Retaliation
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
The EEOC alleged that The Cleaning Authority-Fox Valley routinely subjected female workers to sexual harassment through unwanted sexual advances, unwanted touching and sexual comments. The EEOC also alleged a female employee was forced to quit to avoid the harassment, and that employees who opposed the sexual harassment were fired in retaliation.
EEOC Sues Smithfield Foods for Age Discrimination
Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
According to the lawsuit, the employee worked for Smithfield Foods for over 10 years before she was fired at the age of 59. Smithfield Foods claims it terminated the employee as part of a reduction-in-force of its sales staff. As part of the reduction, five out of six terminated employees were 55 years or older, while 14 out of 18 employees who were considered for, but ultimately spared from termination, were under the age of 55.
Despite initially telling the employee that her termination was pursuant to the reduction-in-force, Smithfield Foods later claimed to have discharged her because of her alleged refusal to relocate to the company’s Smithfield, Virginia headquarters. However, the employee previously agreed to such a relocation request, which had been withdrawn by Smithfield Foods. The employee then continued to work for Smithfield Foods from her home in the Atlanta area for approximately 15 months before her sudden firing.
EEOC Sues All Day Medical Care Clinic for Discriminating Against Employee for Not Disclosing Disability During Job Interview
Disability discrimination; Reasonable accommodation
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, after the scheduling assistant informed All Day Medical Care Clinic about her vision impairments and need for accommodation, the employer questioned why she did not raise these issues in her interview, and immediately terminated her. The employer ignored her later communications asking to remain employed, as well as subsequent overtures from her vocational representative to install and fund the accommodations, the EEOC said.
EEOC Sues 15 Employers for Failing to File Required Workforce Demographic Reports
Failure to submit EEO-1 Component 1 data
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Arizona, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin
The EEOC sued 15 employers for repeatedly failing to submit mandatory EEO-1 Component 1 data reports in prior years, including for reporting years 2021 and 2022.
EEOC Settlements
TCI Of Alabama to Pay $90,000 to Settle Retaliation Lawsuit
Sex discrimination; Retaliation
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
The EEOC charged that TCI violated federal law by terminating an employee for participating in an internal investigation about a charge filed with the EEOC alleging that TCI’s hiring practices discriminated against females. The employee who was retaliated against had been with TCI for 28 years.
Columbia River Healthcare to Settle EEOC Harassment Charge
Sex discrimination; Retaliation
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
In a charge filed with EEOC, the former supervisor alleged that after disclosing their gender identity and pronouns to their employer, managers and staff persisted in repeatedly and intentionally referring to them using pronouns inconsistent with their gender identity. The EEOC’s investigation found evidence confirming that the alleged sex-based harassment went on for more than a six-month period and that, despite receiving complaints about and objections to the harassment, Columbia River Healthcare failed to act appropriately.
Washington State Department of Transportation Settles Disability Discrimination Complaint Filed With EEOC
Disability discrimination; Reasonable accommodation
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
In the charge, a former employee alleged that he was terminated five days after disclosing his disability and discussing a potential need for a related accommodation with his employer. The EEOC’s investigation found reasonable cause to believe that WSDOT’s decision to discharge was motivated by knowledge of the employee’s disability and belief he would need future accommodations.
Subway Franchises Agree to Pay $25,000 to Settle EEOC Race and Color Discrimination Suit
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the president and owner of several Subway franchises repeatedly instructed the general manager, who is Black, not to hire Black employees and to discharge other employees because they were Black or because they appeared to be Black. The owner also created a hostile work environment for Black employees by repeatedly making disparaging remarks and stereotyping them based on his own racial bias. The racially offensive behavior continued until the general manager felt he could no longer work for the company, and resigned.
