Discrimination claims are rising. Just recently another national department store, Dillard’s Inc. (“Dillard’s”), settled a discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) for $70,000.00.
As our readers know, federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees on a multitude of grounds—including race, ethnicity, and pregnancy. In February 2020, the EEOC filed a lawsuit alleging that an employee—a pregnant African American woman—was subject to an adverse employment transfer after she had disclosed to her manager the need for a pregnancy accommodation. Adding insult to injury, the EEOC alleged that following the recall of employees back to work following the store’s COVID-19-related furloughs, this employee was not recalled back to work—and that the employee was fired just months after.
Under an agreement resolving the lawsuit, Dillard’s will pay $70,000.00 in damages to the employee and train its employees in Title VII and retaliation claims—and allow the EEOC to monitor compliance.
The upshot: Employers must be ever vigilant to ensure that they act in accordance with applicable civil rights laws and do not act in a manner that potentially subjects them to litigation. In law, as in life more generally, a cautious, measured approach is often the wisest one to take.
If you have any questions on how to ensure your business is compliant with civil rights laws, please contact us at info@mnklawyers.com.
This material is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor does it create a client-lawyer relationship between MNK Law and any recipient. Recipients should consult with counsel before taking any actions based on the information contained within this material.
