Tuchman Cleaners Sued by EEOC for Race Discrimination

Zionsville Cleaners Refused to Promote Black Employee Because of Race, Federal Agency Charged

INDIANAPOLIS - U.S. Dry Cleaning Services Corporation, doing business as Tuchman Cleaners, failed to promote an employee at the company's Zionsville, Ind., location because he was African-American, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today. 

According to the EEOC's suit, EEOC v. U.S. Dry Cleaning Services Corporation, Civil Action No. 1:12-cv-1376-JMS-TAB, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, the employee sought promotion to a vacant assistant manager position in May 2010.  The employee was recommended for the promotion by both the store manager at the Zionsville location and the district manager responsible for that store, the EEOC said.  The suit goes on to allege that the employee trained for the assistant manager position in the summer of 2010 and, in fact, began successfully performing assistant manager duties that fall.  Despite these facts, the EEOC said, Tuchman Cleaners refused to officially promote the employee - or give him a raise to the assistant manager pay rate - because he was black.  According to the EEOC, a white employee was later appointed to the position, and when the white employee quit, management continued to refuse to promote the African-American employee to assistant manager. 

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. 

"No employer can deny an employee the opportunity to advance his career because of his race," said Laurie A. Young, regional attorney of the EEOC's Indianapolis District Office.  "The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was designed to protect employees from this exact sort of race-based decision-making, and the EEOC will continue to vigorously prosecute race discrimination claims like this."  

The EEOC is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against the company, as well as other relief, including a permanent injunction to prevent the company from engaging in any further employment practice that violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws against employment discrimination.  Further information is available at www.eeoc.gov.