Case: EEOC v. THE CAJUN CO., INC.

2:98-cv-00008 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas

Filed Date: Jan. 28, 1998

Closed Date: Oct. 14, 2002

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

In January 1998 the Memphis Office of the EEOC brought this lawsuit against the Cajun Company Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The complaint alleges violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It specifically alleges that the defendant racially harassed, subjected to different terms and conditions of employment, and discharged or constructively discharged complainants because of their race (African American). Following some discovery, the parties settled the lawsuit in October 1999 through a consent decree.

The three year decree, containing an anti-discrimination clause, recognized that the defendant provided training and had policies prohibiting racial harassment and for reporting complaints, and required the defendant to: make bi-annual reports to the EEOC regarding complaints about racial language, post notice of employee rights, and pay $350,000 to be distributed among 12 individuals.

Summary Authors

Jennifer Solomon (11/12/2007)

People


Judge(s)

Wilson, Billy [William] Roy [Jr.] (Arkansas)

Judge(s)

Wilson, Billy [William] Roy [Jr.] (Arkansas)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

2:98-cv-00008

Docket

EEOC v. Cajun Company Inc

Oct. 14, 1999

Oct. 14, 1999

Docket
1

2:98-cv-00008

Complaint

EEOC v. The Cajun Company, Inc.

Jan. 28, 1998

Jan. 28, 1998

Complaint
21

2:98-cv-00008

Order Granting Plaintiff's Motion to Compel

EEOC v. Cajun Company, Inc.

Oct. 27, 1998

Oct. 27, 1998

Order/Opinion
30

2:98-cv-00008

Consent Decree

EEOC v. The Cajun Company, Inc.

Oct. 14, 1999

Oct. 14, 1999

Order/Opinion

Resources

Docket

Last updated Feb. 23, 2024, 3:02 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT with jury demand, filing fee waived/summons were not issued (jap) Modified on 01/28/1998 (Entered: 01/28/1998)

Jan. 28, 1998

Jan. 28, 1998

Clearinghouse
2

REQUEST by plaintiff for admissions (bkp) (Entered: 02/12/1998)

Feb. 11, 1998

Feb. 11, 1998

3

WAIVER OF SERVICE OF SUMMONS upon defendant Cajun Company Inc on 2/17/98 (former empl) (Entered: 02/25/1998)

Feb. 24, 1998

Feb. 24, 1998

4

MOTION by defendant for attorney Gregory Guidry and Maria F. Manuel to appear pro hac vice (bsm) (Entered: 04/10/1998)

April 9, 1998

April 9, 1998

5

DEFENSES AND ANSWERS by defendant; jury demand (bsm) (Entered: 04/10/1998)

April 9, 1998

April 9, 1998

6

RESPONSE by defendant to pltf's first request for admissions (bsm) (Entered: 04/10/1998)

April 9, 1998

April 9, 1998

7

ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson granting motion for attorney Gregory Guidry and Maria F. Manuel to appear pro hac vice as counsel for deft [4-1] (cc: all counsel) (former empl) (Entered: 04/16/1998)

April 15, 1998

April 15, 1998

8

SCHEDULING ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson setting jury trial for 9:00 the week beginning 3/15/99 in Helena; discovery due 1/15/99; pretrial info sheet due 2/15/99 (cc: all counsel) (former empl) (Entered: 06/22/1998)

June 19, 1998

June 19, 1998

9

MOTION by Cajun Company Inc to change venue to the Western District of Louisiana (former empl) (Entered: 07/23/1998)

July 22, 1998

July 22, 1998

10

MEMORANDUM by Cajun Company Inc in support of motion to change venue to the Western District of Louisiana [9-1] (former empl) (Entered: 07/23/1998)

July 22, 1998

July 22, 1998

11

MOTION by EEOC for extension of time to respond to deft's mot to transfer venue (former empl) (Entered: 08/03/1998)

July 31, 1998

July 31, 1998

CLERK'S MINUTES: Telephone conference re discovery disputes; pltf to file motion and brief by 8/25/98; deft to respond by 9/4/98; reply due 9/9/98; pltf to prepare Order (C. Newburg) (maj) (Entered: 08/05/1998)

Aug. 4, 1998

Aug. 4, 1998

12

ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson granting pltf's motion for extension of time to respond to deft's mot to transfer until 8/18/98 [11-1] [9-1] (cc: all counsel) EOD 8/7/98 (former empl) (Entered: 08/07/1998)

Aug. 7, 1998

Aug. 7, 1998

13

ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson that pltf file its mot to compel discovery no later than 8/25/98, deft's response due no later than 9/4/98, pltf is to file any reply to the response no later than 9/9/98 (cc: all counsel) EOD 8/10/98 (former empl) (Entered: 08/10/1998)

Aug. 10, 1998

Aug. 10, 1998

14

STATEMENT by plaintiff in opposition to motion to change venue to the Western District of Louisiana [9-1] (former empl) (Entered: 08/19/1998)

Aug. 18, 1998

Aug. 18, 1998

15

MOTION by EEOC to compel discovery (former empl) (Entered: 08/25/1998)

Aug. 24, 1998

Aug. 24, 1998

16

BRIEF by EEOC in support of motion to compel discovery [15-1] (former empl) (Entered: 08/25/1998)

Aug. 24, 1998

Aug. 24, 1998

17

AFFIDAVIT of W S Grabon (former empl) (Entered: 08/25/1998)

Aug. 24, 1998

Aug. 24, 1998

18

REPLY by defendant Cajun Company Inc to statement in opposition to motion to change venue to the Western District of Louisiana [9-1] (former empl) (Entered: 08/31/1998)

Aug. 26, 1998

Aug. 26, 1998

19

ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson denying motion to change venue to the Western District of Louisiana [9-1]; deft may renew this mot when the scope of the lawsuit has been decided (cc: all counsel) (former empl) (Entered: 09/03/1998)

Sept. 2, 1998

Sept. 2, 1998

20

DEFENDANT'S OPPOSITION to pltf's brief in support of pltf's motion to compel discovery [15-1] (former empl) (Entered: 09/04/1998)

Sept. 4, 1998

Sept. 4, 1998

21

ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson granting pltf's motion to compel discovery [15-1]; if the parties cannot agree on a date certain for the production, a conference call should be scheduled on or before 11/5/98 (cc: all counsel) EOD 10/27/98 (former empl) (Entered: 10/27/1998)

Oct. 27, 1998

Oct. 27, 1998

Clearinghouse
22

JOINT MOTION for continuance of discovery cut-off date & trial (former empl) (Entered: 12/08/1998)

Dec. 7, 1998

Dec. 7, 1998

23

ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson granting motion for continuance of discovery cut-off date & trial [22-1] a new scheduling order will be issued (cc: all counsel) (former empl) (Entered: 12/15/1998)

Dec. 14, 1998

Dec. 14, 1998

24

SCHEDULING ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson resetting jury trial for 9:00 10/26/99 in Helena; discovery due 8/26/99; pretrial info sheet due 9/27/99 (cc: all counsel) (former empl) (Entered: 12/15/1998)

Dec. 14, 1998

Dec. 14, 1998

25

JOINT MOTION by defendant Cajun Company Inc and plaintiff EEOC for continuance (former empl) (Entered: 07/13/1999)

July 13, 1999

July 13, 1999

26

ORDER by Judge William R. Wilson denying motion for continuance [25-1]; if the case is not resolved, parties are to file a list of each witness they expect to call at trial on or before 9/15/99 as well as a list of estimated length of time needed to cross-examine each witness which the opposing party expects to all by 9/22/99 (cc: all counsel) EOD 7/27/99 (former empl) (Entered: 07/27/1999)

July 27, 1999

July 27, 1999

27

NOTICE (DOC) setting a settlement conference for 1:00 on 8/23/99 in Little Rock, AR (cc: all counsel) (former empl) (Entered: 08/16/1999)

Aug. 13, 1999

Aug. 13, 1999

28

JOINT MOTION for protective order (former empl) (Entered: 08/27/1999)

Aug. 27, 1999

Aug. 27, 1999

29

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AGREEMENT by Judge William R. Wilson as set forth herein, confidential information means any information, oral or in documentary or other tangible form so designated by any producing person, financial information, statements or other documents containing information related to the financial status and/or net worth of the Cajun Company, Inc or any other documents marked confidential & agreed to be the parties as included herein; all confidential information or documents disclosed shall be used solely for the purposes of preparation for trial, pretrial proceedings & trial of this litigation & not for any other purposes; all documents containing confidential information shall be filed in a sealed envelope as set forth in this order; this order shall survive & remain in full force & effect after termination of this litigation; this agreement shall bind the parties as of the date they execute it & shall be treated as an order of the Court without the necessity of filing; it is ordered that the Stipulated Protective Order Agreement between the parties hereto is approved & made an order of this Court [28-1] (cc: all counsel) (former empl) (Entered: 09/15/1999)

Sept. 15, 1999

Sept. 15, 1999

30

CONSENT DECREE by Judge William R. Wilson to settle all claims in this lawsuit, the Cajun company will pay the separate individuals listed the amounts set forth in this order; notice will be posted in conspicuous places at each job site for 30 days; deft has a policy prohibiting racial harassment and has trained all supervisory & management employees, including foremen, in the prohibitions of the federal employment discrimination laws & policy prohititing racial harassment; a report will be submitted to Carson L Owen 6 months after the entry of this decree &

Oct. 14, 1999

Oct. 14, 1999

Clearinghouse

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: Jan. 28, 1998

Closing Date: Oct. 14, 2002

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

Cajun Company Inc., 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

Amount Defendant Pays: 350000

Order Duration: 1999 - 2002

Content of Injunction:

Discrimination Prohibition

Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law

Provide antidiscrimination training

Reporting

Issues

Discrimination-area:

Disparate Treatment

Discharge / Constructive Discharge / Layoff

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