In April 2000, the EEOC district office in Charlotte, North Carolina brought this suit against Augusta Fiberglass Coatings, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, on behalf of a class of individuals who were allegedly subject to racial discrimination in violation of the Civil Rights Act. The EEOC alleged that the defendant subjected black employees to racial slurs, insults, violent attacks, and threats.

After extensive discovery and while two defense motions for summary judgment were pending, the parties opted to settle the case. An initial consent decree was entered in February 2002, but the court held off on final approval of the consent decree to give potential class members notice of the settlement and a chance to give their input as to the EEOC's proposed distribution of the monetary relief. Of the 330 people so notified, five objected. For varying reasons the court rejected all of their objections, and in December 2002 signed off on the EEOC's distribution and gave final approval of the consent decree.

In the consent decree, the parties agreed that the defendant would refrain from retaliating and discriminating based on race, pay a class of black employees a total of $200,000, develop an anti-discrimination policy, develop a complaint procedure, post and distribute its anti-discrimination policy, provide EEO training to ALL staff, and make annual reports to the EEOC.

Jason Chester - 07/27/2007


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