Morton Salt will pay $75,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging the company discriminated against a Black employee with a disability and then retaliated against him when he reported the treatment.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the settlement after filing suit against the company in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
According to the EEOC, the employee worked in a labor position at Morton Salt’s Rittman, Ohio, facility before being fired. The agency charged that the employee faced unfavorable treatment because of his race, disability, and for reporting alleged discrimination.
“Title VII prohibits race discrimination and retaliation, and the ADA ensures protection for covered workers,” said Philadelphia District Office Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence. “The EEOC is committed to holding employers accountable for their unlawful conduct.”
Settlement details
The two-year consent decree requires Morton Salt to pay $75,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to the former employee. The company must also implement periodic reporting, monitoring and training for its employees to ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.
The EEOC filed the lawsuit after attempting to reach a settlement through its administrative conciliation process. The case alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race discrimination and retaliation, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits disability discrimination and requires reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.
Enforcement authority
The EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office, which has jurisdiction over parts of Ohio along with Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and parts of New Jersey, handled the case.
The EEOC serves as the primary federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate employment discrimination cases against private sector employers. For public sector cases, the agency shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
