George W. Morosani and Associates to Pay $11,000 to Settle EEOC Retaliation Suit

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – George W. Morosani and Associates, LLC, an Asheville, N.C., commercial real estate company, will pay $11,000 and provide other relief to settle a retaliation discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the employee worked as a maintenance helper at the company’s Wellington Community Estates in Arden, N.C. On July 27, 2017, the employee complained to a managing member of the company about his supervisor’s use of language the employee believed to be racially discriminatory. Within several days of the complaint, the company fired the maintenance helper in retaliation for his complaint.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who complain about discrimination in the workplace. The EEOC filed suit (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. George W. Morosani and Associates, LLC, Civil Action No 1:19-cv-00203-MR-WCM) in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Asheville Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its voluntary conciliation process.

In addition to providing monetary relief for the maintenance helper, the two-year consent decree settling the suit requires George W. Morosani and Associates to adopt an anti-discrimination policy and provide training for all managers, supervisors and employees on Title VII and its prohibition against retaliation in the workplace. The company will also provide periodic reports to the EEOC on employee complaints about discrimination and any adverse actions employees experience.

“We applaud George W. Morosani and Associates’ willingness to work with the EEOC to resolve this matter,” said Kara Haden, acting regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District. “The company has taken positive steps which will benefit its employees moving forward and emphasize the importance of the federal equal employment opportunity laws.”

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.