NEWS & ANALYSIS


Chemical Co. Can't Completely Sink EEOC Racial Slur Suit

By Patrick Hoff

A chemical company must face a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit claiming it failed to stop a Hispanic employee from using racist slurs, with a Missouri federal judge ruling jurors could find a single confrontation with a Black co-worker was extreme enough to support the case.

Debt Co. Ends EEOC Religious Bias Suit Revived By 3rd Circ.

By Patrick Hoff

A debt collection company will pay $60,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming a call center worker was forced out for taking time off to practice Judaism, wrapping up a case that the Third Circuit revived in February.

EEOC Says Restaurant Allowed Misgendering Of Trans Worker

By Patrick Hoff

A Michigan fast food franchisee failed to stop workers from misgendering a transgender employee and fired several people who spoke up against the harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a suit filed Friday.

EEOC Reaches Deal With Rehab Center In Nurse's Bias Suit

By Amanda Ottaway

A rehabilitation and assisted living facility has reached a deal with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to end a disability discrimination lawsuit by a nurse with a sleep disorder who the agency said was unlawfully fired, according to a filing in Texas federal court.

Sports Gear Co. Hit With EEOC Age Bias, Retaliation Suit

By Benjamin Morse

A sports gear company fired a worker after she complained about an organizational restructuring that favored younger workers with less experience than older workers, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in Colorado federal court.

Auto Co. Inks Deal With EEOC To Settle Sex Harassment Suit

By Grace Elletson

An automotive services company has agreed to pay $80,000 to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit in Michigan federal court claiming it failed to step in when a female worker complained that a male supervisor repeatedly propositioned her for sex.

Hooters, EEOC Strike Deal To End Post-COVID Rehiring Suit

By Patrick Hoff

Hooters will pay $250,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit claiming it failed to bring back most of its Black employees when it reopened a North Carolina restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a filing in federal court Monday.

EEOC Suits Crystallize Commitment To Fighting LGBTQ+ Bias

By Vin Gurrieri

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recently concluded fiscal year included seven new suits accusing employers of discriminating against LGBTQ+ workers, which experts say is a sign that the agency is making good on its stated commitment to fight bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Here are three things to know about this EEOC litigation priority.

Nev. Construction Co. Settles EEOC Disability Bias Probe

By Benjamin Morse

A Nevada construction company will pay $56,000 after a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation discovered reasonable cause to believe it fired a worker after she asked for accommodation because of her disability, the agency said. 

EEOC Gets Deal In Retaliation Suit Over Pregnancy Bias Claim

By Patrick Hoff

A North Carolina movie theater will pay $137,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging it refused to rehire a bartender because she'd complained to the agency that she was fired because she was pregnant, according to a federal court filing.

Fla. Waste Co. Inks $1.4M Deal To End EEOC Race Bias Suit

By Grace Elletson

A waste company agreed to hand over $1.4 million to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit filed in Florida federal court alleging it failed to step in when Black and Haitian employees were called racial slurs on the job.

Waste Removal Cos. Ink $3.1M Deal In EEOC Gender Bias Suit

By Grace Elletson

Four waste removal companies have agreed to pay $3.1 million to shutter a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit in Georgia federal court alleging they passed over female applicants for truck driver positions.

Healthcare Co. Can't Escape EEOC Promotion Denial Suit

By Patrick Hoff

HCA Healthcare can't escape a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit claiming it refused to promote a researcher because he was an Asian man in his 50s, a Tennessee federal judge ruled, saying the agency plausibly alleged that the medical company was his employer.

Popeyes Franchisee Settles EEOC Pregnancy Bias Probe

By Benjamin Morse

A Popeyes franchisee in Florida reached a deal with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after the agency found reasonable cause to believe the restaurant fired a worker because it learned she was pregnant. 

Judge OKs Deal In One Of EEOC's First PWFA Suits

By Carolina Bolado

A Florida federal judge on Friday approved a nearly $100,000 consent decree between a Florida resort and a line cook fired when she requested time off after a stillbirth, in one of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's first batch of cases accusing employers of violating the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Farm Labor Contractor Settles EEOC Pregnancy Bias Charge

By Grace Elletson

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced it reached a deal with a farm labor contractor to resolve a worker's discrimination charge claiming the business pulled her off the job when she asked to attend pregnancy-related medical appointments.

Restaurant Supply Co. Settles EEOC Harassment Probe

By Grace Elletson

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commision said Thursday that the company behind Restaurant Depot agreed to overhaul its internal complaint process after an EEOC investigation found a store manager had sexually harassed female workers.

Colo. Dispensary To Pay $95K In EEOC Disability Bias Suit

By Grace Elletson

A Colorado marijuana dispensary has agreed to pay $95,000 to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it fired a worker for failing to clock in and out of her shifts, even though she informed supervisors that she had memory issues due to her disabilities.

Sheetz Gets EEOC Background Check Suit Kicked To Pa.

By Grace Elletson

Convenience store chain Sheetz persuaded a Maryland federal judge to send to Pennsylvania a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit accusing the company of conducting a criminal history screening that amounted to race bias, citing the case's ties to that state.

EEOC Suits Warn Employers To Take Harassment Seriously

By Vin Gurrieri

The EEOC's blitz of lawsuits at the end of its fiscal year included dozens of cases accusing employers of fostering environments full of harassment, highlighting an age-old priority for the commission that still catches employers flat-footed and prompts the agency to send stern warnings through its litigation docket, experts say. Here, Law360 looks at four things to know about the EEOC's latest anti-harassment enforcement push.