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The Great EEOC Roundup: October Edition


Note, I realize this EEOC Roundup:  October Edition blog is finally being posted nearly halfway into November.  My apologies for the delay, but work has kept me busier than normal and I have not had as much time to pull this one together.

As always, there are some recent EEOC cases that jump out at me when I review recent developments on that front.  Below are a few recent EEOC cases and settlements that stand out:



An EEOC investigation revealed that a Hispanic employee suffered differential treatment based on her race and national origin.  The Hispanic employee reported to the Wells Fargo Human Resources department that she was subjected to differential treatment and her supervisor told her not to speak Spanish during non-duty time.  Afterward, Wells Fargo initiated discipline and ended up terminating the employee for practices other employees regularly engaged in without discipline.  

This alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Wells Fargo agreed to settle for $295,000.00 as well as conduct four hours of annual employment discrimination training for all managers and supervisors in the division where the employee worked. 




Recently, the EEOC brought suit against Dollar General for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation towards a female employee.  The EEOC alleged that the employee, Laveta Crawford, was subjected to a barrage of lewd comments and gestures on a daily basis by a male assistant store manager.  Although Crawford complained, the conduct continued.  When Crawford filed a discrimination charge with the EEOC and attempted to transfer to a different store, she was subsequently fired.

The conduct complained of violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.




Late last month, a Floria jury handed down a verdict of $35,922.00 based upon an Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") claim brought by the EEOC.  The EEOC argued that Florida Commercial Security Services violated the ADA after it removed Alberto Tarud-Saieh (who had lost one arm in a car accident) from his security guard position after the president of a community association where Tarud-Saieh was working complained "The company is a joke.  You sent me a one armed security guard."  The company apparently then removed Tarud-Saieh from his post and did not reassign him, in essence terminating his employment.

The EEOC argued at trial that reliance upon discriminatory customer preferences and stereotypes about what individuals with disabilities can and cannot do violated the ADA.  




An assistant store manager at a Walmart store in Maryland offered Laura Jones a job as an evening sales associate, contingent upon Jones passing a urinalysis test for illegal drugs.  Jones stated she could not do this as was has end stage renal disease.  The assistant store manager instructed Jones to notify the drug testing company and inquire about alternate tests.  The drug testing company told Jones that other drug tests could be conducted if the employer requested it.  Jones subsequently relayed that information to the assistant store manager but management refused to order an alternative drug test for Jones.  Jones's application was subsequently closed for failing to take the urinalysis test.  

Suit was filed on the grounds that this alleged conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA").  Walmart agreed to settle and pay $72,500.00 and provide significant equitable relief such as not taking any future adverse employment actions on the basis of disability.  



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