EEOC AND THE BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL SETTLE ALLEGATIONS OF AGE DISCRIMINATION

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Beverly Holdings, Inc. announced today that they settled an age discrimination lawsuit against Beverly Holdings, Inc. focusing on the hiring practices at the Coconut Club, a supper club formerly located at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, which Beverly Holdings owns and operates.

Pursuant to the terms of the Consent Decree in U.S. EEOC v. The Beverly Hilton Hotel in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the Hotel has agreed to compensate certain applicants who were age 40 or older and who were not hired for employment at the Coconut Club.  The terms of the agreement include a monetary settlement in the amount of $220,000 to be distributed to approximately 15 applicants identified by the EEOC who allegedly suffered age discrimination, out of the approximately 3,000 applicants contacted by the EEOC during its investigation.  The Beverly Hilton Hotel has agreed to implement more extensive human resources training programs for its managers in cooperation with its labor counsel, Jeffer, Mangles, Butler & Marmaro and an outside consultant.

"The Commission is pleased that the Hotel has agreed to enhance its management training to add specific focus on age diversity in hiring practices," said Olophius Perry, Director of the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office.

The Beverly Hilton Hotel is the largest employer in Beverly Hills, employing approximately 650 employees constituting a highly diverse workforce with more than 50% of its employees being over the age of 40. The EEOC commends the Beverly Hilton Hotel for its achievements in workforce diversity.

Anna Y. Park, Regional Attorney of the EEOC's Los Angeles office, said, "We hope that other employers follow the Beverly Hilton's lead in valuing our older workers who have committed their long careers to food service."

In addition to enforcing the Age Discrimination in Employment Act which prohibits employment discrimination against persons age forty and older on the basis of their age, the EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex and national origin, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act, and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.  Further information about the Commission is available at www.eeoc.gov.