EEOC Sues Supreme Staffing LLC, Inspire Hotel Staffing LLC, and Better Placement LLC for Race Discrimination

Memphis, Tenn. – Supreme Staffing LLC, Inspire Hotel Staffing LLC, and Better Placement LLC, which together operate as an integrated enterprise staffing agency, violated federal civil rights law when they engaged in discrimination in the selection, referral, placement, and assignment of employees based on race, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed yesterday.      

According to the EEOC’s suit, beginning in at least January 2018, the staffing agencies discriminated against Black applicants in the selection, referral, placement and assignment process. The staffing agencies regularly assigned Black applicants to lower-paying jobs, if they placed them at all. The staffing agencies also accommodated client requests and preferences for Latino workers over Black workers. The EEOC also alleges the staffing agencies violated federal recordkeeping requirements.

This alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination based on race. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Western Division, Civil Action No. 2:22-cv-02668, after first trying to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks back pay and compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of Black employees and Black applicants, as well as an injunction against future discrimination.             

“Staffing companies play a critical role in the economy, particularly in the Memphis area, known as the Distribution Center of America. Honoring discriminatory client requests and preferences violates Title VII,” said Edmond Sims, acting district director of the EEOC’s Memphis District Office, which has jurisdiction over Arkansas, Tennessee, and portions of Mississippi. “Staffing agencies cannot allow client preferences to justify discrimination.”               

The Staffing Agencies are headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee but also operate offices in Georgia, Nevada, Louisiana, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, South Carolina, and Kentucky.

For more information on race discrimination visit www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination.

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