In September 2005, the EEOC district office in New York, New York brought this action against LA Branche & Company and two of its officers in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. A male former employee intervened in the suit. The complaints state that the former employee, who suffered from Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression, alleged that the defendant violated Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) when it maintained a hostile working environment, retaliated against him for complaining of discrimination, and constructively discharged him all because of his mental disability. After a single settlement conference, the parties settled and a consent decree was entered in August 2006.

In the consent decree, the parties agreed that the defendant would pay the complainant $500,000, post a "remedial notice," revise its personnel policies, revise its complaint procedures, provide EEO training to all its employees, submit semiannual complaint reports to the EEOC, and hire an EEO coordinator to handle investigations and general complaince matters. No fees or costs were awarded. The terms of the agreement run for three years. The docket sheet does not show any further enforcement; the case was presumably closed in 2009.

Jason Chester - 07/19/2007


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