LEGAL REDRESS
VERONA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT SETTLES | EEOC EQUAL PAY LAWSUIT School District to Pay $450,000 to Wage Discrimination Victims and Raise Salaries of Teachers Paid Less Than Male Colleagues MADISON, Wis. – Verona Area School District will pay $450,000, raise salaries, and furnish other relief to settle a pay discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. According to EEOC’s lawsuit, the school district violated civil rights law by paying nine female special education teachers and one female school psychologist lower wages than more recently hired male employees doing the same work. All nine special education teachers have experience comparable to (or greater than) their male colleague, but the district paid them $3,000 to $17,000 less than it paid him. The EEOC also charged that the school district paid a female school psychologist less than a male school psychologist, paying her at least $16,000 less per year than it paid her male colleague. The district outright rejected the special education teachers’ and school psychologist’s requests to raise their salaries to match those of their recently hired, more highly paid male co-workers. However, the district repeatedly negotiated and agreed to salary increases sought by male teachers whose salaries were lower than those of newly hired, less-experienced teachers. Such alleged conduct violates the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits discrimination in pay based on sex. The EEOC filed its suit (Civil Action 3:22-cv-00039) in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. In addition to the $450,000 in monetary relief, the four-year consent decree settling the suit requires Verona Area School District to raise the salaries of the women in the suit, review its pay policy, conduct anti-discrimination training, post a notice to employees at its worksites about the lawsuit, and submit written reports twice a year to the EEOC. “More than 60 years after the Equal Pay Act, it is not only illegal but unacceptable to treat men and women differently when negotiating and setting pay,” said Diane Smason, the EEOC’s acting district director in Chicago, whose coverage includes the state of Wisconsin. “The EEOC will continue to vigorously investigate and enforce the law to make sure employees do not face such discrimination.” “The Equal Pay Act requires employers to pay male and female workers equally for equal work,” said Gregory Gochanour, the EEOC’s regional attorney in Chicago. “That is the law, and the EEOC will hold employers accountable.” For more information on equal pay and compensation discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination. The EEOC’s Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with Area Offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis. The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates. ###
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is kicking off a social media video campaign called “Level The Paying Field” to commemorate the anniversary of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 on June 10. #LevelThePayingField starts June 9 and will last through Aug. 20 to coincide with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, which starts July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. “In many cases, women across the country are still paid less than men,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “Whether you are a security guard, an IT analyst, a teacher, or even a professional athlete, we often still have an uneven playing field when it comes to equal pay.” The Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibits sex-based wage discrimination and requires that men and women in the same work establishment receive equal pay for equal work in jobs that are substantially equal and performed under similar working conditions. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the Equal Pay Act as well as other federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Although the Equal Pay Act was passed 60 years ago, sex-based pay discrimination remains a problem in the workforce. Each year there are still hundreds of pay discrimination charges filed with the EEOC, including more than 950 in Fiscal Year 2022, which was the first increase in Equal Pay Act charges in three years. Because few workers know their co-workers’ salaries, pay discrimination is often hidden and unreported. When workers do report pay discrimination to the EEOC, the agency has found unequal pay in a variety of industries and sectors, including information technology, entertainment, construction, and retail. As part of the campaign, the EEOC will provide Level The Paying Field graphics the public can use to show their support for equal pay as well as an updated list of notable EEOC litigation involving pay discrimination and a 2023 Equal Pay Infographic. For more information on equal pay and compensation, visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination. The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates. ### Media contact: newsroom@eeoc.gov ASL videophone: 844-234-5122
CHICAGO – Lacey’s Place LLC Series Midlothian, doing business as Lacey’s Place, which owns and operates more than 30 video gaming parlors in Illinois, will pay $92,964 and furnish other relief to settle a pay discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
MINNEAPOLIS – R & G Endeavors, Inc., a fast-food franchisee doing business as Culver’s Restaurants of Cottage Grove, violated federal law when it subjected employees to a hostile work environment based on race, sex, sexual orientation, and disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in two lawsuits filed today.
Chicago District Office CONTACT: Elizabeth B. Banaszak
230 S Dearborn Trial Attorney
Suite 2920 (312) 872-9676
Chicago, IL 60604 Elizabeth.Banaszak@EEOC.Gov
Ann Henry
Supervisory Trial Attorney
(312) 872-9659
Gregory Gochanour
Regional Attorney
(312) 872-9685
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2023
VERONA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT SETTLES
EEOC EQUAL PAY LAWSUIT
School District to Pay $450,000 to Wage Discrimination Victims and
Raise Salaries of Teachers Paid Less Than Male Colleagues
MADISON, Wis. – Verona Area School District will pay $450,000, raise salaries, and furnish other relief to settle a pay discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
According to EEOC’s lawsuit, the school district violated civil rights law by paying nine female special education teachers and one female school psychologist lower wages than more recently hired male employees doing the same work. All nine special education teachers have experience comparable to (or greater than) their male colleague, but the district paid them $3,000 to $17,000 less than it paid him.
The EEOC also charged that the school district paid a female school psychologist less than a male school psychologist, paying her at least $16,000 less per year than it paid her male colleague. The district outright rejected the special education teachers’ and school psychologist’s requests to raise their salaries to match those of their recently hired, more highly paid male co-workers. However, the district repeatedly negotiated and agreed to salary increases sought by male teachers whose salaries were lower than those of newly hired, less-experienced teachers.
Such alleged conduct violates the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits discrimination in pay based on sex. The EEOC filed its suit (Civil Action 3:22-cv-00039) in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
In addition to the $450,000 in monetary relief, the four-year consent decree settling the suit requires Verona Area School District to raise the salaries of the women in the suit, review its pay policy, conduct anti-discrimination training, post a notice to employees at its worksites about the lawsuit, and submit written reports twice a year to the EEOC.
“More than 60 years after the Equal Pay Act, it is not only illegal but unacceptable to treat men and women differently when negotiating and setting pay,” said Diane Smason, the EEOC’s acting district director in Chicago, whose coverage includes the state of Wisconsin. “The EEOC will continue to vigorously investigate and enforce the law to make sure employees do not face such discrimination.”
“The Equal Pay Act requires employers to pay male and female workers equally for equal work,” said Gregory Gochanour, the EEOC’s regional attorney in Chicago. “That is the law, and the EEOC will hold employers accountable.”
For more information on equal pay and compensation discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination.
The EEOC’s Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with Area Offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
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U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
131 M St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20507
800-669-4000 | 844-234-5122 (ASL Videophone)
VERONA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT SETTLES
EEOC EQUAL PAY LAWSUIT
EEOC Launches “Level the Paying Field” Equal Pay Video Campaign
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is kicking off a social media video campaign called “Level The Paying Field” to commemorate the anniversary of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 on June 10.
#LevelThePayingField starts June 9 and will last through Aug. 20 to coincide with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, which starts July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
“In many cases, women across the country are still paid less than men,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “Whether you are a security guard, an IT analyst, a teacher, or even a professional athlete, we often still have an uneven playing field when it comes to equal pay.”
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibits sex-based wage discrimination and requires that men and women in the same work establishment receive equal pay for equal work in jobs that are substantially equal and performed under similar working conditions.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the Equal Pay Act as well as other federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
Although the Equal Pay Act was passed 60 years ago, sex-based pay discrimination remains a problem in the workforce. Each year there are still hundreds of pay discrimination charges filed with the EEOC, including more than 950 in Fiscal Year 2022, which was the first increase in Equal Pay Act charges in three years. Because few workers know their co-workers’ salaries, pay discrimination is often hidden and unreported. When workers do report pay discrimination to the EEOC, the agency has found unequal pay in a variety of industries and sectors, including information technology, entertainment, construction, and retail.
As part of the campaign, the EEOC will provide Level The Paying Field graphics the public can use to show their support for equal pay as well as an updated list of notable EEOC litigation involving pay discrimination and a 2023 Equal Pay Infographic.
For more information on equal pay and compensation, visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
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Media contact: newsroom@eeoc.gov
ASL videophone: 844-234-5122
LACEY’S PLACE TO PAY $92,964 TO SETTLE EEOC PAY DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT
EEOC CHICAGO DISTRICT OFFICE CONTACT: Adrienne Kaufman
230 S. Dearborn Trial Attorney
Suite 2920 (612) 552-7315
Chicago, IL 60604
(800) 669-4000 Deborah Hamilton
Assistant Regional Attorney
(312) 872-9671
Gregory Gochanour
Regional Attorney
(312) 872-9685
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2023
LACEY’S PLACE TO PAY $92,964 TO SETTLE EEOC PAY DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT
Gaming Parlor Chain Paid Female Worker Less Than Men and Fired Her for Complaining,
Federal Agency Charged
CHICAGO – Lacey’s Place LLC Series Midlothian, doing business as Lacey’s Place, which owns and operates more than 30 video gaming parlors in Illinois, will pay $92,964 and furnish other relief to settle a pay discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
According to EEOC’s lawsuit, female district managers were paid less than their male coworkers with similar experience and education since at least March 2018. A female manager was also fired in retaliation for complaining about the pay disparity, the EEOC said.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act, which prohibit discrimination based on sex and retaliation. The EEOC filed its suit (Case No. 2:22-cv-02161) in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
In addition to the monetary relief, the four-year consent decree settling the suit requires Lacey’s Place to develop and distribute a written policy against sex-based pay discrimination and retaliation, conduct anti-discrimination training, and conduct a pay equity study of current district manager pay. Lacey’s Place must also post a notice at its worksite about the lawsuit and submit written reports twice a year to the EEOC.
“The Equal Pay Act requires employers to pay male and female workers equally for equal work,” said Gregory Gochanour, the EEOC’s regional attorney in Chicago. “The EEOC will continue to enforce this crucial federal law.”
More information about equal pay is available at https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination. More information about retaliation is available at https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.
The EEOC’s Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with area offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
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U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
131 M St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20507
800-669-4000 | 844-234-5122 (ASL Videophone)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2023
EEOC SUES CULVER’S RESTAURANTS OF COTTAGE GROVE FOR MULTIPLE FORMS OF HARASSMENT
Workplace Allowed Offensive Conduct Related to Race, Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Disability, Federal Agency Charges
MINNEAPOLIS – R & G Endeavors, Inc., a fast-food franchisee doing business as Culver’s Restaurants of Cottage Grove, violated federal law when it subjected employees to a hostile work environment based on race, sex, sexual orientation, and disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in two lawsuits filed today. The litigation also charges the Minnesota company with denying a long-serving employee with a disability equal pay and pay raises because of his disability.
According to the EEOC’s filings, multiple workers endured harassment at Culver’s Cottage Grove restaurant. In one instance, managers and other employees singled out a gay and African American employee for racial and homophobic insults that included the n-word and f-word, discussed his sex life, and referred to him as the restaurant’s “adopted African child.”
The company also subjected another employee, who also has a disability, to bullying and disability-related slurs, while paying him less than his co-workers without disabilities. The company also exposed female employees, some as young as 14, to sexual harassment that included unwanted sexual touching, jokes, and propositions. Employees reported these conditions to management, but the company failed to reasonably address the harassment or discipline those responsible. The intolerable working conditions forced one employee to quit, the EEOC alleged.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from creating a hostile workplace based on race and sex, including sexual orientation, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (Civil Action Nos. 0:23-cv-01501 and 0:23-cv-01506) after first attempting to reach pre-litigation settlements through its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks monetary relief for the affected employees, and an order requiring the company to take steps to stop and prevent future workplace harassment and pay disparities.
“These forms of discriminatory harassment in the workplace are never acceptable,” said Greg Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District Office. “All employees – regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation or disability – should enjoy an equal right to safety, dignity, and respect in their place of work, and the EEOC will vigorously enforce that right, through litigation if necessary.”
Diane Smason, acting district director of the EEOC’s Chicago District, added, “Federal law requires employers to take prompt and effective action to stop harassment on the job. Employers cannot simply ignore repeated reports of harassment, allowing this abusive conduct to continue and spread.”
For more information on race and color discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination. For more information on sexual harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment. For more information on sex-based discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-sogi-discrimination.
The EEOC’s Youth@Work website (at http://www.eeoc.gov/youth/ ) presents information for teens and other young workers about employment discrimination, including curriculum guides for students and teachers and videos to help young workers learn about their rights and responsibilities.
The EEOC's Chicago District Office is charged with enforcing federal employment discrimination laws in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
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U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
131 M St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20507
800-669-4000 | 844-234-5122 (ASL Videophone)