Boise Recruiter Sued by EEOC For Retaliation

BOISE, Idaho — Recruiting services company Jivaro Professional Headhunters violated federal law by retaliating against a former employee because she filed a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency charged in a recently filed lawsuit.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Felicia Bauer was hired as a senior technical recruiter to work at the company’s Hailey, Idaho facility. According to the EEOC’s suit, after Bauer filed a charge with the EEOC alleging that Jivaro had fired her due to disability discrimination, the company retali­ated by providing a negative and misleading job reference to an employer considering Bauer’s job application. Jivaro also retaliated against Bauer by suing her in Idaho state court, alleging she violated her employment agreement by filing the EEOC charge.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits retaliation against workers who report discrimination. After first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process, the EEOC filed the lawsuit (EEOC v. Jivaro Professional Headhunters,LLC,Case No. 1:20-cv-00461-CWD) in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. The agency seeks monetary relief for Bauer and injunctive relief such as training and posting worksite notices to prevent discrimination and retaliation. 

“This employer went to extraordinary lengths to even the score with a former employee who simply wanted fair treatment,” said Nancy Sienko, deputy director of the EEOC’s San Francisco District Office. “Let the Idaho employment community know: retaliation is a violation of federal law  and the EEOC will file suit when appropriate to enforce it.”

EEOC Regional Attorney Roberta Steele added, “The ADA protects the rights of current and former employees alike to speak up and report problems without being chilled by an employer’s retali­atory actions. We will pursue all available remedies to vindicate the public interest in workplaces where people can address discrimination without fear.”

Jivaro Professional Headhunters, LLC is a privately owned recruiting agency with three branches in Idaho providing client services in California, Texas, and Idaho.

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