STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN GILBERT F. CASELLAS IN RESPONSE TO MITSUBISHI MOTOR MANUFACTURING OF AMERICA ANNOUNCEMENT

WASHINGTON -- I understand that Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America (MMMA) announced this morning that it has hired former U.S. Labor Secretary Lynn Martin to conduct a "third-party" review of the company's workplace policies and procedures. The EEOC, of course, supports any effort by an employer to eradicate discrimination in the workplace through education and training, and indeed the agency will be happy to offer our technical assistance in that area. I must emphasize, however, that the initiative announced today in no way affects the EEOC's pending litigation against MMMA.

Given the history of this case, the EEOC is concerned that the third-party review not interfere with the private plaintiffs, the members of the class, or the jurisdiction of the court. We will, therefore, be monitoring this program closely to prevent even the appearance of intimidation of or retaliation against plaintiffs or witnesses involved in any of the litigation. The EEOC will make every effort to ensure that the judicial process is not undermined nor circumvented.

With regard to the effect of the third-party review on the prospect of settlement of the litigation, I note that the lawsuit continues and that we have no information to suggest the likelihood of settlement in the foreseeable future.

EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Equal Pay Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments; prohibitions against discrimination affecting individuals with disabilities in the federal government; and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.