The EEOC brought suit against Shoe Show, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama in July 2004. The Complaint alleged discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. More specifically, the complaint alleged the defendant discriminated against female employees by maintaining a hostile work environment and retaliating against employees who complained about harassment through reduction of hours and discharge. Shortly after the defendant answered the complaint, this suit was consolidated with a suit filed by three employees of Shoe Show (03-cv-00863) in November 2004, and this other case was designated the lead case. After consolidation, there were several discovery disputes and a number of motions for summary judgment that were not resolved. The parties entered a consent decree in July 2005.

The consent decree included non-discrimination and non-retaliation clauses, required the defendant to post notice regarding employee rights, and required the defendant to provide EEO training to all employees of its Monroeville, Alabama store. The defendant agreed to submit a report within 90 days of entry of the consent decree detailing actions taken to inform and train personnel. The decree had a term of one year. In the event of non-compliance, the decree called for court enforcement. The defendant also agreed to compensate the complainants monetarily, with the amount of compensation to be determined in connection with a separate settlement agreement.

Justin Kanter - 08/07/2008


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