Yesterday, America First Legal (AFL) announced that Sanofi Pasteur, Inc., a global pharmaceutical company, has agreed to discontinue racially discriminatory programs identified in a federal civil rights complaint filed by AFL with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
In January, AFL lodged a federal civil rights complaint against Sanofi with the OFCCP for alleged discrimination and called for immediate investigations into the company's practices. Sanofi has received over one billion dollars in federal contracts, primarily for its vaccines. These contracts include an “equal opportunity clause” that prohibits federal contractors from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
On September 5, 2024, OFCCP held an “informal compliance conference” with Sanofi in accordance with 41 C.F.R. § 60-1.24(c)(2). This regulation allows OFCCP to hold informal compliance conferences to resolve matters after its complaint investigation indicates a violation of the equal opportunity clause. According to OFCCP, Sanofi has acknowledged and agreed to end its illegal hiring practices involving race and sex-based quotas following AFL’s complaint.
Gene Hamilton, Executive Director of America First Legal, stated: “All organizations should make employment decisions based on merit–the sole focus should be on whether or not the individual’s unique talents and capabilities will advance the organization’s mission. All discrimination is wrong–legally and morally–and leads to less productive organizations, and in turn, less productive societies. We are pleased that Sanofi has pledged to the federal government that it will no longer discriminate against Americans based on their immutable characteristics, and all major corporations should follow in their footsteps.”