Filed Date: Aug. 22, 2002
Closed Date: 2003
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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)
Jones, Henry L. Jr. (Arkansas)
Jones, Henry L. Jr. (Arkansas)
Last updated March 5, 2024, 3:08 a.m.
State / Territory: Arkansas
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
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):
Attorney Organizations:
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:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration: 2003 - 2006
Content of Injunction:
Expungement of Employment Record
Other requirements regarding hiring, promotion, retention
Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law
Provide antidiscrimination training
Issues
General:
Discrimination-area:
Harassment / Hostile Work Environment
Other Conditions of Employment (including assignment, transfer, hours, working conditions, etc)
Discrimination-basis:
Race:
EEOC-centric: