EEOC Sues Sinclair Broadcast Group for Race Discrimination

BALTIMORE – Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. violated federal law when it discriminated against an employee because of her race, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

According to EEOC’s lawsuit, Sinclair subjected an analyst, a Black woman who worked for the company in Cockeysville, Maryland, to race discrimination when it underpaid her and forced her out of her job. Sinclair treated other employees who are not Black more favorably, including paying them more to perform similar work, the agency charged. After the analyst opposed the pay discrimin­ation and reported it to Sinclair, the company refused to remedy the disparity, thus compelling her to resign, according to the lawsuit.

 Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits dis­crimination based on race. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., Case No. 1:22-cv-02477) in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking permanent injunctive relief prohibiting Sinclair from discriminating against employees because of race in the future; lost wages; compensatory and punitive damages; and other relief.

 “The EEOC is committed to enforcing Title VII’s prohibition against pay discrimination because of race,” said Rosemary Rhodes, director of the Baltimore Field Office of the agency’s Philadelphia District.

Philadelphia District Office Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence said, “Engaging in race-based pay discrimination is a violation of federal law. The EEOC is committed to eradicating discriminatory pay, including pay practices that disadvantage Black women.”

The EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and parts of New Jersey and Ohio. The legal staff of the EEOC also prosecutes discrimination cases in Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia.

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