The Laconic Law Blog

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced today two settlements with restaurants.

The first, here, announced a settlement with Razzoo’s, a Dallas/Fort Worth-based Cajun food restaurant chain, for $1 million.  The case was a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the EEOC alleging discrimination against a class of male applicants and employees.  “The EEOC said that Razzoo’s refused to hire or promote men to the position of bartender in its restaurants.  Razzoo’s management set up and communicated to managers by e-mail a plan for an 80-20 ratio of women to men behind the bar, the EEOC said.  Male applicants and servers were expected to testify at trial . . . that managers told them Razzoo’s wanted mostly “girls” behind the bar.  Men who worked as servers at the restaurants were generally denied promotion to bartender because of their gender.  The few men who were promoted to bartender were not allowed to work lucrative “girls-only” bar­tend­ing events.”

The second, here, involved Specialty Restaurants in Los Angeles.  The $625,000 settlement resolves class claims of sexual harassment and retaliation at banquet facilities.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a $1.65 million settlement in a racial harassment case in Pennsylvania today.  According to the press release, “The EEOC said that harassment included a life size noose made of heavy rope hung from a beam in a class member’s work area for at least 10 days before it was removed; the regular use of the “N-word”; racially offensive comments made to black individuals, including “I think everybody should own one”; “Black people are no good and you can’t trust them”; and “Black people can’t read or write.” Additionally, racist graffiti was present written in portable toilets, with terms such as “coon”; “If u not white u not right”; “White power”; “KKK”; and “I love the Ku Klux Klan.””

TX — The U.S. Justice Department settled a lawsuit on behalf of American Airlines pilots who were allegedly denied them accrual of benefits while on military leave.  (Another story here.)

IN — The EEOC announced that a Fort Wayne, Indiana, staffing company will settle an age, race and retaliation discrimination lawsuit brought by the agency.  The company will pay a total of $580,000 and will also pay up to $5,000 in settlement administrative expenses.  The lawsuit alleged that the agency failed to refer African American applicants and applicants age 40 for work assignments and also retaliated against employees who objected to these referral practices.

KS — The EEOC announced that Wal-Mart will pay $300,000 to settle a case involving a disabled applicant for employment.

NY — USAToday reports that Xerox has settled a race discrimination class action for $12 million.  The case involved allegations of discriminatory territory assignments.

(Hat tip to New Jersey Employment Law Blog.)

The EEOC announced two settlements today. 

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The EEOC announced the final approval by a U.S. district judge in Illinois of a $24 million settlement in a race discrimination class action against Walgreen’s.  According to the EEOC, “The consent decree provides for the payment of over $24 million to a class of thousands of African American workers and orders comprehensive injunctive relief designed to improve the company’s promotion and store assignment practices.  The EEOC filed its suit in March 2007 alleging that Walgreens discriminated against African American retail management and pharmacy employees in promotion, compensation, and assignment.”

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced today the settlement of a racial harassment suit in Dallas, Texas, involving 15 black and hispanic airport workers for $1.9 million.  The consent decree also required diversity training for all of the employer’s U.S. facilities.

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The EEOC announced a $500,000 settlement today with The Vanguard Group, Inc., the mutual fund company, in connection with a retaliation lawsuit brought by the EEOC on behalf of a former employee.  The EEOC alleged that the employee was retaliated against by supervisors after he made complaints of discrimination against them.  The retaliation culminated in his termination.  The company also agreed in the consent decree settling the case to draft in plain English a policy opposing illegal discrimination, harassment and retaliation, to make the policy available to all employees; to have a complaint procedure for violations of company policies against discrimination and retaliation; and to provide anti-discrimination training to managers, supervisors and human resources employees. The company will also report to the EEOC on any complaints of unlawful retaliation it receives and on its compliance with the consent decree.

The EEOC announced the approval of a settlement by a federal judge of a discrimination case in New York against a union.  The case involved allegations of underpayment of minority workers based on race and national origin.

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The Washington Post reports that the EEOC settled a racial harassment case with Lockheed involving a single employee for $2.5 million.  It is reportedly the largest individual settlement ever at the EEOC.  A Reuters article on the case is here.  The case involved allegations of racial slurs and threats directed at the employee and the company’s alleged failure to do anything about it after he complained, stating “boys will be boys.”  The company denied the allegations and said that the EEOC’s characterization of the case was false.

UPDATE:  EEOC press release issued here.

According to a press release by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Target Corp. agreed in a consent decree filed in U.S. District Court in Wisconsin to pay $510,000 to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the agency alleging discrimination in hiring against blacks.

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