CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Legal Newsline) - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced April 10 that Desco Industries Inc. will pay $45,000 after allegations of workplace retaliation.
According to the EEOC, Daniel Worthy was employed by a third-party staffing agency that placed him with Desco in 2015.
About February of that year, Worthy expressed interest to a manager about working a forklift position. After the conversation, he purportedly thought he would be next in line for the role.
Worthy, who is black, later noticed that a non-black employee was operating the forklift. Worthy filed a complaint with management, believing he had been passed over due to his race.
The company, according to the EEOC, fired Worthy within days of complaining.
Alleged conduct of this nature violates Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, because employers cannot terminate an employee who reports race discrimination, according to the EEOC.
"Federal law protects those who come forward to report suspected employment discrimination," said Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney for the EEOC's Charlotte District Office. "The EEOC stands ready to enforce those protections."