Contractor Agrees To Pay $3 Million in EEOC Race Bias Decree

A janitorial company that provides services to O’hare International Airport has agreed to pay $3 million to rejected black applicants. At issue – a June 2009 lawsuit asserting race discrimination as a result of the company’s failure to hire or recruit black applicants for janitorial jobs.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination against employees on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability or age. This means that an employer cannot take any form of adverse or negative action against you if you belong to one of these protected categories. Adverse actions include not only termination, but any actions that negatively impact an employee or potential employee such as refusals to hire, negative references, and placement in undesirable shifts or job locations.

Here, an African-American job applicant was denied even the opportunity to interview for a position as a janitor. At least 550 other African-Americans joined the lawsuit, with far greater numbers having been denied the opportunity to interview. Based on racially discriminatory policies at Scrub, Inc., the EEOC sought injunctive relief against the janitorial company in order to “stamp out discrimination.”

As a result of the action, the company will be required to consider claimants for entry level jobs and actively recruit African American job applicants through print, radio spots, and job fares.

If you believe you have been subject to an adverse employment action, including being denied even the opportunity to interview for a job, you may be entitled to bring an action for race discrimination. For more information, contact Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP, a Georgia law firm dedicated to protecting worker’s rights.