Kentucky Coal Mine Discrimination Claim Nearing ‘Amicable’ Settlement

A lawsuit against a western Kentucky coal mine accused of discriminating against black job applicants appears to be nearing a settlement.

River View Coal, a subsidiary of Tulsa, Okla.-based Alliance Resource Partners, was sued in 2011 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

An attorney for the EEOC, Aime McFerren, said Friday a settlement has not been reached and attorneys continue to work on a resolution. Court records indicated there was an “amicable resolution” in late May, and the case has been removed from the active docket.

The commission alleged that beginning in 2008, River View Coal turned away African-American applicants due to their race. They were looking for work at an underground mine in Waverly that employs about 430.

A spokesman for Alliance said Friday that River View Coal denies the allegations in the EEOC’s suit.