Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Great Lakes Chemical Corporation Settles EEOC Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
Press Release 07-12-2011

Great Lakes Chemical Corporation Settles EEOC Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Manufacturer Unlawfully Terminated Black Employees, Federal Agency Charges

EL DORADO, Ark. – Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, a manufacturer and seller of  chemical products in El Dorado, Ark., will pay $80,000 and furnish other relief  to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission  (EEOC) alleging racial discrimination, the agency announced today.

The EEOC's suit (Civil Action No. 1:09-CV-01042)  alleged that Great Lakes  violated federal anti-discrimination law when it terminated several black  employees because of their race.  Specifically, the EEOC alleged that Great Lakes terminated black employees  based upon discriminatory and subjective evaluations.

Race discrimination violates Title  VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The  EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas  after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its  conciliation process.

"The EEOC  remains committed to promoting equality of opportunity in the workplace for  members of all races. We believe the decree entered by the Court will  ensure that African American employees are not singled out for discriminatory  treatment,"said Regional Attorney Faye A. Williams of the EEOC's  Memphis District Office, which has jurisdiction over Arkansas,  Tennessee, and certain counties in Mississippi.

In addition to the monetary relief,  the consent decree settling the suit enjoins Great Lakes from terminating  employees in its El Dorado  central location's Inorganic Bromine (IOB) Unit on the basis of race. Great Lakes  will also provide race and color discrimination training to all supervisory and  management personnel in its IOB Unit and post a notice reinforcing the  company's policies on Title VII.

According to its website, Great Lakes is a business of Chemtura  Corporation, a global specialty chemicals company. It is one of the three  largest developers and manufacturers of bromine and bromine-based products.

The EEOC enforces federal laws  prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is  available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.