Two Black Employees Targeted for Discipline Because of Their Race, Then Fired for Complaining About Discrimination, Federal Agency Charges

Life University, Inc., the largest chiropractic college in the United States, located in Marietta, Ga., violated federal law when it treated two black employees differently because of their race and then fired them for complaining about the discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed recently.

According to the EEOC's complaint, Life University's director of the financial aid department violated federal law by subjecting Channon Williams and Shaundy Thomas, two African-American financial aid counselors, to harsher discipline because of their race. The same director failed to discipline Caucasian financial aid counselors for committing the same or similar supposed offenses. After Williams and Thomas took their complaints about racial discrimination to Life University's human resources department, in or about December 2015, both were fired a short time later, in January 2016.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Life University Inc., Civil Action No. 1:17-cv-3121) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking back pay, compensatory and punitive damages for Williams and Thomas, as well as injunctive relief designed to prevent such discrimination in the future.

"An employer should not treat any employee differently simply because of their race," said Bernice Williams-Kimbrough, director of the EEOC's Atlanta District Office.

Antonette Sewell, regional attorney for the Atlanta District Office, added, "Employers should never terminate an employee for complaining about discrimination and exercising his or her federally protected rights. Instead, employers should strive to create a culture where discrimination is not tolerated and complaints are welcome."

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.