WRONGFULLY RETALIATED AGAINST A BLACK EMPLOYEE
A chain of breweries, known as Iron Hill, was sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for race discrimination and retaliation, when it fired an African American employee who voiced complaints to management that Hispanic employees and women were being mistreated (including a lactating mother who was denied a space to “express breast milk”).
Believing that such conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Iron Hill Brewery of Buckhead, LLC, et al., Case No. 1:24-cv-01275-MHC-JKL) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.
In a recently announced settlement, the company not only agreed to pay $115,000 penalty, but will modify its employment related policies and practices.
By way of a written statement, Atlanta District Office Regional Attorney Marcus G. Keegan noted that, “The EEOC brought this lawsuit to defend an employee’s right to speak up about workplace discrimination …. This settlement sends a strong message that the EEOC will continue to vindicate the rights of individuals with the courage to come forward to report discrimination against themselves or others in the workplace.”
Bet they’re glad they ironed that out.
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