Case: EEOC v. PARTS WAREHOUSE INC.

4:02-cv-00530 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas

Filed Date: Aug. 22, 2002

Closed Date: 2003

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Case Summary

On August 22, 2002, the Memphis and Little Rock offices of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit under Title VII against Parts Warehouse, Inc. in the U.S. District for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The EEOC alleged that the defendants had violated the rights of a class of black complainants by subjecting them to racial discrimination, including racial graffiti in the restrooms.On December 16, 2003, the parties filed a consent decree with the court, which the court ado…

On August 22, 2002, the Memphis and Little Rock offices of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit under Title VII against Parts Warehouse, Inc. in the U.S. District for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The EEOC alleged that the defendants had violated the rights of a class of black complainants by subjecting them to racial discrimination, including racial graffiti in the restrooms.

On December 16, 2003, the parties filed a consent decree with the court, which the court adopted and dismissed the case. Under the terms of the decree, which was to last for 3 years, the EEOC was to inform the defendants within 30 days how much they were to pay in damages to the plaintiff class. This relief was not to exceed $220,000. The defendants agreed to expunge the employment records of all complainants of any reference to this lawsuit, and they agreed to provide those complainants with a neutral employment reference. The defendants agreed to post and distribute among the employees a notice of employee equal opportunity rights, and defendants agreed to provide training opportunities for qualified black employees in an effort to promote them to supervisory and managerial positions. Defendants agreed to monitor their facilities for racist graffiti, and to clean it up if they found any.

By the time the consent decree was entered, the defendant employees had already undergone racial discrimination training. Within 30 days of the decree, the defendants were to provide the names of those who attended and the syllabus for the class to the EEOC. The defendants agreed to conduct this training on an annual basis. Defendants were required to submit reports of their compliance to the EEOC at 6 months, 18 months, and 35 months during the 36 month life of the decree. Each report was to detail any complaints of racial discrimination made at the Little Rock facility, as well as what measures the defendants took to respond to the complaint and remedy the problem. Specifically, the report was to state whether any racist graffiti had been found at the facility, and it was to report on the annual racial discrimination training of staff members.

Summary Authors

Kristen Sagar (3/16/2008)

People


Judge(s)

Jones, Henry L. Jr. (Arkansas)

Judge(s)

Jones, Henry L. Jr. (Arkansas)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

4:02-cv-00530

Docket (PACER)

EEOC v. Parts Warehouse Inc.

Dec. 16, 2003

Dec. 16, 2003

Docket
1

4:02-cv-00530

Complaint

EEOC v. Parts Warehouse Inc.

Aug. 22, 2002

Aug. 22, 2002

Complaint
11

4:02-cv-00530

Consent Decree

EEOC v. Parts Warehouse Inc.

Dec. 16, 2003

Dec. 16, 2003

Order/Opinion

4:02-cv-00530

EEOC Press Release

EEOC v. Parts Warehouse Inc.

No Court

Feb. 9, 2004

Feb. 9, 2004

Press Release

Resources

Docket

Last updated March 5, 2024, 3:08 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT with jury demand/fee waived (summons were not issued) (jap) (Entered: 08/23/2002)

Aug. 22, 2002

Aug. 22, 2002

2

WAIVER OF SERVICE OF SUMMONS upon defendant Parts Warehouse Inc on 8/29/02 (bsm) (Entered: 09/10/2002)

Sept. 9, 2002

Sept. 9, 2002

3

ANSWER by defendant (bsm) (Entered: 10/03/2002)

Oct. 2, 2002

Oct. 2, 2002

4

INITIAL SCHEDULING ORDER (DOC) Rule 26(f) Conference set 12/11/02; Rule 26(f) Report due 12/26/02; Jury trial set for 9:00 a.m. 9/8/03 in Little Rock; Rule 16(b) Conference set 1/2/03 (cc: all counsel) (maj) (Entered: 10/04/2002)

Oct. 4, 2002

Oct. 4, 2002

5

JOINT RULE 26(f) REPORT by plaintiff and defendant (bmt) (Entered: 12/20/2002)

Dec. 19, 2002

Dec. 19, 2002

6

FINAL SCHEDULING ORDER (DOC); jury trial set for 9:00 9/8/03 in Little Rock; discovery due 7/8/03; pretrial info sheet due 8/8/03 (cc: all counsel) (bmt) (Entered: 04/29/2003)

April 28, 2003

April 28, 2003

7

JOINT MOTION by parties for continuance to pursue settlement (vjt) (Entered: 07/07/2003)

July 3, 2003

July 3, 2003

8

ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson denying motion for continuance [7-1]; case is referred to Magistrate Judge Henry L. Jones for a Settlement Conference at the Court's earliest convenience; case is set for jury trial on 9/8/03 in Little Rock, AR (cc: all counsel) (bsm) Modified on 07/17/2003 (Entered: 07/16/2003)

July 16, 2003

July 16, 2003

CLERK'S MINUTES: A settlement conference was held with Magistrate Judge Henry L. Jones, Jr. with Wm. Cash, Terry Beck, and Helen Winn present for Plaintiff and Russell A. Gunter, Andrew Faulker, Bill Slatterer, and Francine Barton present for Defendant. The parties were unable to come to a settlement agreement and the settlement conference ended. (rmw) (Entered: 07/31/2003)

July 31, 2003

July 31, 2003

10

FINAL SCHEDULING ORDER (DOC) jury trial set for 9:00 4/19/04 in Little Rock, AR before Judge William R. Wilson; discovery due 2/4/04; pretrial info sheet due 3/20/04 (cc: all counsel) (bsm) (Entered: 09/10/2003)

Sept. 9, 2003

Sept. 9, 2003

11

CONSENT DECREE: by Judge William R. Wilson that deft, its officers, agents, employees, and all persons acting in concert with deft are enjoined from retaliating against any employee for opposing discriminatory employment practices made unlawful under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, or for making a charge or complt to the EEOC, testifying, assisting or participating in any manner in any investigation, proceeding or hearing; deft's requirements to the EEOC are listed in this Order; the EEOC, w/in 30 days of the entry of the decree, will inform deft in writing of the monetary relief to be paid to charging parties and class members; the total of the monetary relief will not exceed gross payment of $220.000; EEOC and deft shall bear their own costs, including attys' fees; provisions of this Consent Decree shall continue to be effective and binding upon the parties to this action for a period of 3 years from the date of the entry of this decree except as provided in this Order; this Court has jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter of this litigation; terminating case (cc: all counsel) (bsm) (Entered: 12/17/2003)

Dec. 16, 2003

Dec. 16, 2003

Case Details

State / Territory: Arkansas

Case Type(s):

Equal Employment

Special Collection(s):

EEOC Study — in sample

Multi-LexSum (in sample)

Key Dates

Filing Date: Aug. 22, 2002

Closing Date: 2003

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

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

Plaintiff Type(s):

EEOC Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

EEOC

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Parts Warehouse, Inc. (Little Rock), 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

Damages

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 2003 - 2006

Content of Injunction:

Expungement of Employment Record

Neutral/Positive Reference

Discrimination Prohibition

Retaliation Prohibition

Other requirements regarding hiring, promotion, retention

Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law

Provide antidiscrimination training

Reporting

Recordkeeping

Issues

General:

Retaliation

Discrimination-area:

Disparate Treatment

Harassment / Hostile Work Environment

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

Discrimination-basis:

Race discrimination

Race:

Black

EEOC-centric:

Direct Suit on Merits