The Kansas City office of the EEOC brought this suit against Western Container in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in September 2006. The complaint alleged that Western Container discriminated against a black employee in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complainant intervened in June 2007, adding causes of action under the Missouri Human Rights Act. After some discovery, the parties settled the case in March 2008 by entry of a consent decree.

The decree included non-discrimination and non-retaliation clauses, required maintenance of a written Title VII policy and required distribution and posting of the policy. The decree also required Western Container to provide eight hours of EEO training on racial harassment and discrimination to all supervisory employees and provide six hours of such training to all non-supervisory employees. Additionally, during the second year of the consent decree, Western Container was required to provide two hours of follow-up training to its supervising employees. Western Container was also required to report to the EEOC bi-annually regarding all internal complaints of racial discrimination. The EEOC also was allowed access to review compliance with the decree by providing five days written notice in advance of an inspection. The injunctive parts of the decree had a two year term. If the EEOC found non-compliance, the decree called for application to the Court for enforcement. In addition, Western Container agreed to pay the complainant $126,250. The settlement term was 2 years. The docket sheet does not show any further enforcement; the case was presumably closed in 2010.

Justin Kanter - 05/27/2008
- 06/10/2017


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