Park School of Baltimore Will Pay $41,000 to Settle EEOC Sex Discrimination Suit

School Fired Softball Coach Because He is a Man, Federal Agency Charged

BALTIMORE - Park School of Baltimore, Inc., a private school in Pikesville, Md., will pay $41,000 and furnish significant equitable relief to settle a federal sex discrimination suit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced.

According to the suit, the Park School hired a male as head softball coach in the spring of 2014 and renewed his employment contract as head softball coach in 2015 and 2016. The EEOC charged that despite his satisfactory job performance, in 2017 the Park School told the coach that it would not renew his contract for the 2017 softball season because of its "preference for female leadership."

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrim­ination based on sex. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Park School of Baltimore Inc., Civil Action No.1:18-cv-02319) in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

In addition to the $41,000 in monetary damages to the coach, the two-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit provides significant equitable relief, including prohibiting the Park School from engaging in gender discrimination in the future. The Park School will implement a policy prohibiting gender discrimination and retaliation and provide training on federal anti-discrimination laws and the company's policies. The Park School will also post a notice regarding the settlement and employee rights under Title VII and report any future complaints of gender discrimination to the EEOC.

"Title VII protects both men and women from unequal treatment based on gender," said EEOC Regional Attorney Debra M. Lawrence. "We are pleased the Park School worked with us to resolve this quickly, fairly and without incurring unnecessary litigation expenses."

EEOC Philadelphia District Director Jamie R. Williamson added, "The EEOC is committed to ensuring that all employees, men and women, are evaluated based on their qualifications, not their gender."

The EEOC's Baltimore Field Office is one of four offices in the EEOC Philadelphia District Office, which has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and parts of New Jersey and Ohio. Attorneys in the EEOC Philadelphia District Office also prosecute discrimination cases in Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.