On July 15, 2004, the Philadelphia office of the EEOC filed this race discrimination case against Allstate Insurance Company (its subsidiary, Encompass Insurance, Inc.) claiming that Allstate discriminated against a black employee when it fired her from her position as a Customer Service Representative for alleged performance problems. The employee had been hired by the Defendant's predecessor in 1987. After the Defendant acquired the company in 2000, the complainant alleged, her supervisor harassed her because of her race, up to and including terminating her employment because she complained to Human Resources about his behavior. The Human Resources manger ignored her complaints and refused to assign her to another supervisor. The employee filed her Intervenor Complaint on March 25, 2005.

After a brief discovery dispute, the case was resolved by Consent Decree, entered on April 13, 2007. The Decree requires Defendant not to discriminate on the basis of race or to retaliate against empoyees who complain about such discrimination, to post the EEO notice, and to review and update its policies against discrimination and retaliation, including publishing an effective complaint procedure, the minimum requirements of which the Decree sets out in detail. The Defendants also agreed to provide non-discrimination training to all its managers and supervisors.

Additionally, the Decree provides that the employee's file be expunged of all reference to her charge of discrimination and prohibits Defendant from divulging any of its facts or circumstances to any employer or potential employer.

Defendant agreed to pay the complainant $115,000.00 in damages. The Decree specifies for tax reporting purposes how the amount should be divided and designated.

The settlement term was two years. The docket sheet does not show any further enforcement; the case was presumably closed in 2009.

Denise Heberle - 01/04/2010


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