Illinois Company to Pay $325K to Settle Federal Discrimination Suit

Decatur, Ill.-based company King-Lar will pay $325,000 to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

In its lawsuit, the EEOC alleged that King-Lar, which provides custom sheet metal and HVAC work, allowed its white employees to verbally harass and threaten a black employee of Puerto Rican origin, which ultimately led to a brutal physical assault.

The national origin and color harassment allegedly included slurs such as “s..c,” “n….r,” “Mexican n—r,” and “wetback.” The EEOC also claimed that King-Lar management, including one of its owners, knew about the discrimination and failed to act to stop it.

EEOC filed the suit, now pending, against King-Lar on Aug. 19, 2015.

In addition to the monetary relief, the settlement mandates that King-Lar have a system where employees can complain anonymously online or to a 1-800 number; train its employees on harassment and discrimination; and make clear that King-Lar will take allegations of discrimination seriously.