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Press Release 04-08-2009

BENEDICT COLLEGE SETTLES EEOC RACIAL BIAS CASE

Federal Agency Says Historically Black College Discriminated Against Three White Faculty Members Based on Race

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Benedict College discriminated against three  white faculty members because of their race in 2005, the U.S. Equal Employment  Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today. The lawsuit was filed along with a consent  decree resolving the case. Benedict College  is a private historically black college located in Columbia, S.C. According to its web site, Benedict College  has over 2,500 under­graduate students.

According to the EEOC’s complaint, Benedict College  discriminated against Argiri Aggelopoulou,  an art instructor, by failing to select her for an assistant professor of art  position in February 2005. The EEOC’s  complaint further alleges that the college discriminated against Aggelopoulou, Michael  Hale, an assistant professor of art, and a third faculty member from Benedict’s  School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, by failing to renew their  teaching contracts for the 2005-2006 school year, effectively terminating them.
 
  Race discrimination violates Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights  Act. The EEOC’s suit was filed in the  U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Columbia Division (EEOC  v. Benedict College, Civil Action  No. 3:09-cv-00905-JFA-JRM), along with a consent decree setting forth  the terms of the settlement agreement between the EEOC and Benedict  College. As part of the settlement, Benedict  College agreed to pay each of the three affected faculty members $55,000 and to  redistribute its equal employment opportunity policy prohibiting discrimination  based on race and other protected categories.  Benedict College will also provide training to  its administrators, faculty, and  employees and make periodic reports to the EEOC  pursuant to the settlement.

“Benedict  College denies the  allegations in the lawsuit and therefore the EEOC appreciates the College’s  willingness to work with us in order to resolve this case to the benefit of all  involved,” said Lynette Barnes, regional attorney for the Charlotte District  Office. “Benedict  College has a policy  which provides for equal employment opportunity to all employees and  applicants.”

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

The South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC) originally  investigated the faculty members’ charges.  SCHAC works with the EEOC in investigating charges of employment  discrimination. These charges raise  claims under South Carolina  law as well as federal laws enforced   by  the EEOC. Further information about  SCHAC is available on its web site at www.state.sc.us/schac.