Case: EEOC v. SABIC AMERICAS, INC.

4:05-cv-03362 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Filed Date: Sept. 29, 2005

Closed Date: 2008

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

The Houston office of the EEOC brought suit against SABIC Americas Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in September 2005. The complaint alleged discrimination based on national origin and sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. More specifically, the claimant alleged her wages were lower than similarly situated employees because of her national origin (Syrian) and sex and the defendant retaliated against her for complaining by reducing her w…

The Houston office of the EEOC brought suit against SABIC Americas Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in September 2005. The complaint alleged discrimination based on national origin and sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. More specifically, the claimant alleged her wages were lower than similarly situated employees because of her national origin (Syrian) and sex and the defendant retaliated against her for complaining by reducing her work duties, changing her job status, retrieving and reviewing her emails and ultimately firing her. The EEOC and SABIC entered a consent decree in November 2005, which was not binding on the claimant, who had filed a private party complaint. By January 2006, the claimant and SABIC entered a settlement and the judge ordered a conditional order of dismissal. We do not have access to the settlement agreement between the claimant and SABIC.

The consent decree between the EEOC and SABIC included non-discrimination and non-retaliation clauses, required the development of an anti-discrimination policy, and required that the policy remain posted for the term of the consent decree. SABIC was also required to provide a training program on discrimination to all of its human resources staff, supervisors and/or managers. Additionally, SABIC was required to upgrade the professionalism of its internal investigations and was required to report on who was interviewed as part of the investigation and why they were interviewed. The decree also required the expungement of the claimant's employment record and required SABIC to give a neutral reference to any potential employer of the claimant's. SABIC additionally agreed to cooperate with any investigation undertaken by the EEOC. The injunctive parts of the decree had a two and a half year term. If the EEOC found non-compliance, the decree required the EEOC to give SABIC notice and a chance to remedy prior to application for court enforcement. The terms of the agreement were to run for 2.5 years. The docket sheet does not show any further enforcement took place; the case was presumably closed in 2008.

Summary Authors

Kevin Wilemon (6/1/2007)

Clearinghouse (6/15/2017)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4396600/parties/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-v-sabic-americas-inc/


Judge(s)

Ellison, Keith P. (Texas)

Judge(s)

Ellison, Keith P. (Texas)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

4:05-cv-03362

Docket (PACER)

Jan. 27, 2006

Jan. 27, 2006

Docket
1

4:05-cv-03362

Complaint

Sept. 29, 2005

Sept. 29, 2005

Complaint
7

4:05-cv-03362

Conditional Order of Dismissal

Jan. 27, 2006

Jan. 27, 2006

Order/Opinion
5

4:05-cv-03362

Consent Decree

Nov. 1, 2007

Nov. 1, 2007

Settlement Agreement

Resources

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4396600/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-v-sabic-americas-inc/

Last updated March 23, 2024, 3:08 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT against Sabic Americas Inc (Filing fee $ 0.) filed by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.(lfilmore, ) Modified on 9/29/2005 (lfilmore, ). Additional attachment(s) added on 9/29/2005 (mmapps, ). (Entered: 09/29/2005)

Sept. 29, 2005

Sept. 29, 2005

RECAP
2

ORDER for Initial Pretrial and Scheduling Conference and Order to Disclose Interested Persons. Initial Conference set for 2/3/2006 at 09:45 AM in Room 8631 before Judge Keith P Ellison. ( Signed by Judge Keith P Ellison ) Parties notified. (lfilmore, ) (Entered: 09/29/2005)

Sept. 29, 2005

Sept. 29, 2005

PACER
3

RETURN of Service Executed as to Sabic Americas Inc on 10/17/05 re: Summons & Complaint, filed.(mkadlubowski, ) (Entered: 10/25/2005)

Oct. 24, 2005

Oct. 24, 2005

PACER
4

RETURN of Service Executed as to Sabic Americas Inc on 10/17/05 re: Summons, filed.(mharrison, ) (Entered: 11/03/2005)

Oct. 28, 2005

Oct. 28, 2005

PACER
5

PROPOSED ORDER Consent Decree, filed.(ypippin, ) (Entered: 11/07/2005)

Nov. 1, 2005

Nov. 1, 2005

PACER
6

CONSENT DECREE JUDGMENT .( Signed by Judge Keith P Ellison ) Parties notified.(ypippin, ) (Entered: 11/10/2005)

Nov. 9, 2005

Nov. 9, 2005

PACER
7

CONDITIONAL ORDER OF DISMISSAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE.( Signed by Judge Keith P Ellison ) Parties notified.(svaught) (Entered: 01/30/2006)

Jan. 27, 2006

Jan. 27, 2006

PACER

Case Details

State / Territory: Texas

Case Type(s):

Equal Employment

Special Collection(s):

EEOC Study — in sample

Multi-LexSum (in sample)

Key Dates

Filing Date: Sept. 29, 2005

Closing Date: 2008

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on behalf of one or more workers.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

EEOC Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

EEOC

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Sabic Americas Inc. (Houston, Texas), Private Entity/Person

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Title VII (including PDA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Complaint (any)

Monetary Relief

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 2005 - 2008

Content of Injunction:

Expungement of Employment Record

Neutral/Positive Reference

Discrimination Prohibition

Retaliation Prohibition

Develop anti-discrimination policy

Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law

Provide antidiscrimination training

Implement complaint/dispute resolution process

Reporting

Recordkeeping

Monitoring

Issues

General:

Retaliation

Discrimination-area:

Disparate Treatment

Discharge / Constructive Discharge / Layoff

Other Conditions of Employment (including assignment, transfer, hours, working conditions, etc)

Pay / Benefits

Discrimination-basis:

National origin discrimination

Sex discrimination

Affected Sex or Gender:

Female

EEOC-centric:

Direct Suit on Merits

National Origin/Ethnicity:

Arab/Afgani/Middle Eastern