Dental Health Products, Inc. to Pay $25,000 to Settle EEOC Retaliation Case

SAN ANTONIO, Texas –Dental Health Products, Inc. (DHP), a nationwide provider of supplies and equipment to dental practices, will pay $25,000 and furnish equitable relief to settle a federal sex-based retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a female sales representative made a written complaint to DHP’s human resources department alleging that her manager was discriminating against her because of her sex. DHP fired the sales representative less than one day later, which the EEOC said was an act of retaliation for opposing what she believed to be unlawful discrimination.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from retali­ating against an employee because that employee opposed discrimination. The EEOC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division (EEOC v. Dental Health Products, Inc. Case No. 5:22-cv-00994), after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

In addition to the monetary relief, the two-year consent decree resolving the suit prohibits retaliation against DHP employees for opposing any employment practice prohibited by Title VII. It also requires DHP to adopt a written policy against employment discrimination and provide Title VII training to all current employees with a focus on retaliation. The EEOC will monitor DHP’s compliance with these obligations while the decree is in effect.

“The EEOC is dedicated to safeguarding the rights of employees who engage in protected activities, including asserting complaints about discrimination to their employer, filing a charge of discrimination, or otherwise opposing discrimination in the workplace,” said Philip Moss, trial attorney for the EEOC’s San Antonio Field Office.

Robert Canino, regional attorney for the Dallas District Office, added, “We are pleased that DHP has taken this opportunity to train its employees on Title VII’s anti-retaliation provisions, as well as its agreement to adopt policies pertaining to the investigation of complaints of sex discrimination and retaliation.”

The San Antonio Field Office is part of the EEOC’s Dallas District Office, which is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement, and agency litiga­tion in Texas and parts of New Mexico.

For more information on retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.