Bank of America Found Guilty of Employment Discrimination for Years, Fined $2.2 Million
The US Department of Labor has ordered Bank of America to pay $2.2 million for employment discrimination, after the agency found the bank had discriminated against 1,100 African-American job seekers at the company’s offices in North Carolina between 1993 and 2005.
A judge found that the bank applied “unfair and inconsistent selection criteria,” resulting in the rejection of qualified African-American applicants, according to a statement from the DOL. Judge Linda S. Chapman has ordered Bank of America Corp. to pay 1,147 black job applicants $ 2,181,593 in back wages and interest. The settlement money will be distributed among the former applicants. The judge also ordered Bank of America to give appropriate jobs to 10 of the former applicants when positions became available.
Reportedly, the applicants sought entry-level administrative or teller positions.
“Our investigators and attorneys prevailed despite decades of stalling tactics,” said labor solicitor M. Patricia Smith in a statement. Reportedly, the employment discrimination case first came to light in 1993 during a routine compliance review by the DOL, and after attempts at conciliation failed, the Solicitor of Labor filed a formal employment discrimination complaint in 1997.
The Department of Labor alleges that the bank repeatedly challenged the authority of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, or OFCCP, in addition to breaking anti-discrimination laws.
“Wherever doors of opportunity are unfairly closed to workers, we will be there to open them – no matter how long it takes,” said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. “Judge Chapman’s decision upholds the legal principle of making victims of discrimination whole, and these workers deserve to get the full measure of what is owed to them.”
Legal Action Against Employment Discrimination in South Carolina
South Carolina is an at-will employment state, meaning that you have the right to quit your job at any time for any reason or no reason at all; likewise, your employer can hire or fire you for any reason or no reason at all. This makes employment discrimination difficult to challenge.
However, an employer cannot fire you for any reason that:
- is illegal or protected under State or Federal law,
- violates the express terms of an implied or express contractual agreement, or
- violates public policy.
Unlawful employment discrimination, which is often tied to a constructive discharge claim, is difficult to prove. There are certain procedural steps that you must take to assert your claim, making it critical that you contact a South Carolina employment discrimination attorney to ensure that your rights are protected.
The Strom Law Firm Protects Job-Seekers from Employment Discrimination
There are certain procedural steps that you must take to assert your employment discrimination claim, making it critical that you contact a South Carolina employment discrimination attorney to ensure that your rights are protected. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, how you were discriminated against, and whether the employee policies of the company provide you with support. 803.252.4800
