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Welcome to the EEOC's Virtual Newsroom, which offers a wide range of information and materials on the Commission's history, functions, procedures, programs, actions and staff, on the statutes we enforce, and on related research, data and statistics. We encourage everyone to browse and search through our continually updated Press Kit, which provides extensive background and context for virtually any question.

To contact The Office of Communications, please phone 202-921-3191 or send an e-mail to newsroom@eeoc.gov. Please note, this e-mailbox is intended for reporters, news producers, those writing for news publication and broadcasts, and other people working on news programs or stories.

If you are seeking information about the EEOC, please call 1-800-669-4000 or e-mail info@eeoc.gov.

 

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 1544 results for 'religion'

Press release

In EEOC Settlement, Four ‘BigLaw’ Firms Disavow DEI and Affirm Their Commitment to Merit-Based Employment Practices

WASHINGTON – Four of the world’s largest law firms—Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, and A&O Shearman Sterling, LLC—have entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

On March 17, Acting Chair Andrea Lucas sent letters to these and other elite law firms regarding their touted DEI-practices.  Specifically, Lucas sought information from certain firms to better understand whether

April 11, 2025

Press release

Chipotle to Pay $20,000 in EEOC Religious Harassment Lawsuit

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – National restaurant chain Chipotle Services, Inc. will pay $20,000 and furnish other relief to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) religious harassment, retaliation, and constructive discharge lawsuit, the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC suit alleged that in July 2021, at a Lenexa, Kansas, Chipotle restaurant, a supervisor began harassing one of his employees because of her religion. The employee, a teenager at the time, is a devout Muslim

April 1, 2025

Press release

EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas Sends Letters to 20 Law Firms Requesting Information About DEI-Related Employment Practices

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Acting Chair Andrea Lucas sent letters to 20 law firms requesting information about their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) related employment practices.

Based on publicly available information, the letters note concerns that some firms’ employment practices, including those labeled or framed as DEI, may entail unlawful disparate treatment in terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, or unlawful limiting, segregating, and classifying based on race, sex, or

March 17, 2025

Press release

EEOC Acting Chair Promises to Hold Accountable Universities and Colleges for Antisemitism on Campus Workplaces

WASHINGTON – Today, EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas promised to hold accountable universities and colleges which have created a hostile-work environment for their Jewish employees.

“In the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks in Israel, news coverage of the severe outbreaks of antisemitism at our country’s leading universities focused on the students affected — from investigations at the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, to Congressional hearings, to federal lawsuits and

March 5, 2025

Press release

EEOC Sues Rex Healthcare, Inc. for Religious Discrimination

RALEIGH, N.C.  – Rex Healthcare, Inc., a private, non-profit healthcare provider located in Raleigh, North Carolina, violated federal law when it failed to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs and fired her for failing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, according to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, in 2021 Rex Healthcare implemented a policy mandating that all employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination

December 26, 2024

Press release

EEOC Partners With TEROs to Support Tribal Members’ Employee Rights

WASHINGTON – Partnering with Tribal Employment Rights Offices (TERO) directors from the Nez Perce Tribe and Lummi Nation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today the release of new public service announcements in full-length, 60 second, 30 second, and 15 second video and downloadable audio formats to help educate Native Americans and Alaska Natives about their employment rights.

Most workers and job seekers in the U.S., including Native Americans and

October 30, 2024

Press release

Center One and Capital Management Services to Pay $60,000 in EEOC Religious Accommodation Suit

Pittsburgh – Center One, LLC, a provider of consumer debt collection services, and Capital Management Services, LP, a related company based in Buffalo, New York, will pay $60,000 to settle a religious accommodation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that in October 2016, a Center One employee, an adherent of Messianic Judaism, requested a reasonable accommodation of his religious belief requiring abstaining

October 25, 2024

Press release

Center One and Capital Management Services to Pay $60,000 in EEOC Religious Accommodation Suit

Pittsburgh – Center One, LLC, a provider of consumer debt collection services, and Capital Management Services, LP, a related company based in Buffalo, New York, will pay $60,000 to settle a religious accommodation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that in October 2016, a Center One employee, an adherent of Messianic Judaism, requested a reasonable accommodation of his religious belief requiring abstaining

October 24, 2024

Press release

EEOC Celebrates the History and Impact of Management Directive 715 on its Twentieth Anniversary

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a perspective today on a key federal directive titled, “Twenty Years of the EEOC’s Management Directive 715.”

The EEOC issued Management Directive 715 (MD-715) on Oct. 1, 2003 to help federal agencies identify and remove barriers to equal employment opportunity (EEO). MD-715 introduced six essential elements to establish and maintain a model EEO program which “ensures that all employees and applicants for employment

October 7, 2024

Press release

EEOC Sues Logic Staffing for Religious Discrimination and Retaliation

SEATTLE – Logic Staffing, a Washington-based staffing and recruiting agency, violated federal law when it rejected a qualified job applicant who asked for a religious accommodation to attend Friday prayer, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in a lawsuit filed on September 30, 2024.

According to the EEOC's suit, Logic Staffing invited the applicant to interview at its Kent, Washington, headquarters the day after receiving his online application. On the strength of his

October 3, 2024

Press release

EEOC Files Three Sexual Harassment Lawsuits

ST. LOUIS –The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed three lawsuits today alleging sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting harassment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“The EEOC is committed to promoting equal opportunity for all workers, and that includes removing barriers such as sexual harassment,” said Andrea G. Baran, regional attorney of the EEOC’s St. Louis office. “Unfortunately, some employers fail to adequately protect their employees from

October 1, 2024

Press release

EEOC Sues Three Employers for Workplace Harassment

 

WASHINGTON –The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a trio of lawsuits alleging that discriminatory mistreatment in the workplace created illegal hostile work environments in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“Employers have a duty under federal civil rights law to make sure all of their employees are treated with dignity by managers and coworkers alike, and that if anyone is made to feel unsafe at work because

September 5, 2024

Press release

EEOC Sues AG Equipment for Religious and Disability Discrimination

TULSA, Okla. – AG Equipment Company, a Broken Arrow, Oklahoma compressor packaging manufacturer, violated federal law when it fired 10 employees for failing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination because of their religious beliefs or medical restrictions, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, in the fall of 2021, AG Equipment mandated all employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination and told workers no exceptions would be

August 30, 2024

Press release

EEOC Sues Buffalo Wild Wings for Religious Discrimination

ATLANTA – BWW Resources, LLC, which owns and operates Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants, violated federal law when it failed to hire a job candidate because of her religion, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a server candidate for the Douglasville, Georgia location wore long skirts in public because of her sincerely held religious beliefs. Before she applied, the Douglasville general manager told the

August 13, 2024

Press release

Charlotte IHOP to Pay $40,000 in EEOC Religious Discrimination and Retaliation Suit

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Suncakes NC, LLC, a North Carolina-based company, and Suncakes, LLC, a Texas-based company doing business as IHOP (collectively “Suncakes”), will pay $40,000 and provide other relief to settle a religious discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Suncakes hired a cook at its Woodlawn Road location in Charlotte in January 2021. At the time of hire, the

August 6, 2024

Press release

Hank’s Furniture to Pay $110,000 in EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

MOBILE, Ala.  – Hank’s Furniture, Inc. (HFI), a nationwide furniture retailer, will pay $110,000 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the lawsuit, a former assistant manager at HFI’s Pensacola, Florida, location notified the company that her religious beliefs prevented her from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Rather than discuss the employee’s religious beliefs to determine the

July 18, 2024

Press release

Houchens Food Group to Pay $40,000 in EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

INDIANAPOLIS – Houchens Food Group, a large owner and operator of retail grocery, convenience and hardware stores and quick service restaurants headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, will pay $40,000 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Houchens subjected Matthew Barnett, a Spiritualist Rastafarian, to discrimination when it refused to hire him for a position at its Hometown IGA store in Williamsburg, Kentucky because he needed a religious

June 27, 2024

Press release

Wheeler Trucking to Pay $65,000 to Resolve EEOC Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit

CLEVELAND – Nationwide automotive hauling and logistics company Wheeler Trucking, doing business as Wheeler Trucking Inc. and Wheeler Logistics, Inc. will pay $65,000 and furnish equitable relief to settle a race and religion lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Wheeler subjected Charles R. Lynch, III, a Torah Observant employee at its Sheffield, Ohio, location to discrimination when they revoked his religious accommodation that

June 21, 2024

Press release

EEOC Issues Final Regulation on Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a final rule to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), providing important clarity that will allow pregnant workers the ability to work and maintain a healthy pregnancy and help employers understand their duties under the law. The PWFA requires most employers with 15 or more employees to provide “reasonable accommodations,” or changes at work, for a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth

April 15, 2024

Press release

Passages Family Support to Pay $95,000 to Resolve Religious Discrimination Charge

SEATTLE – Passages Family Support, a non-profit organization with a clinic in Spokane, Washington, has agreed to pay $95,000 and provide other injunctive relief following an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

A former employee who worked as a mental health therapist alleged that she requested a job-related accommodation for a religious belief that conflicted with a stated requirement of her position. The EEOC’s investigation found that, despite

April 4, 2024

Press release

EEOC Releases Data Dashboard for 2017 & 2018 Pay Data Collection

Overall Median Pay Band by Sex. Link goes to chart data. 
Visualization showing the national median pay band was higher for men than women in 2017 and 2018 pay data reported to the EEOC. +Enlarge this image.

WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is making available a data dashboard featuring the historic, first-time collection of 2017 and 2018 pay data reported by about 70,000 private employers and certain federal contractors with 100 or more employees each year, representing over 100

March 12, 2024

Press release

Blackwell Security Services Will Pay $70,000 to Settle EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

CHICAGO – Blackwell Security Services, Inc. will pay $70,000 and provide other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC charged in its suit that Blackwell refused to accommodate an employee’s religious practice, needlessly forcing him to choose between his religion and his livelihood. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the employee, who worked as a concierge in Chicago, Illinois, is

January 31, 2024

Press release

Trinity Health-Michigan to Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Trinity Health Grand Rapids, formerly known as Mercy Health St. Mary’s, a hospital and member of the Trinity Health-Michigan health system, agreed to pay $50,000 and provide other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Trinity Health violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by rescinding a job offer

January 19, 2024

Press release

Triple Canopy, Inc. to Pay $110,759 to Settle EEOC Religious Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit

WASHINGTON – Triple Canopy, Inc. a Reston, Virginia-based company providing protective services to federal agencies, will pay a former employee $110,759 and provide other relief to settle a religious discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Triple Canopy denied a religious accommodation to an employee who held a Christian belief that men must wear beards because the employee was unable

December 26, 2023