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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it will convene its first Commission meeting of 1996 on

January 25 to examine the effects of the recent three-week federal government shutdown on civil rights enforcement and the agency's workload.

EEOC officials responsible for the agency's main enforcement programs will make presentations to the Commission on the effects of the prolonged furlough. Reports from the EEOC's Offices of Program

WASHINGTON -- Any legally sophisticated employer such as Hooters is well aware that the EEOC is prohibited by law from publicly discussing any pending investigation. As a result, we can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an ongoing investigation against Hooters or any other employer. EEOC, therefore, cannot respond to the public relations offensive recently initiated by Hooters.

We feel it important to point out, however, that a private class action lawsuit --

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas will be honored tomorrow by the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations for his work in eliminating barriers to equal opportunity and opening doors to minorities in the legal profession.

Casellas will be presented the Clarence Farmer Service Award at an 11:30 a.m. luncheon at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel, 1201 Market Street. Last year's recipient was former U.S. Congressman and Special Advisor to President Clinton

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a final version of its "ADA Enforcement Guidance: Preemployment Disability-Related Questions and Medical Examinations." The guidance covers the Americans with Disabilities Act's restrictions on preemployment disability-related questions and medical examinations of applicants.

Under the law, employers cannot ask disability-related questions or require medical examinations until after an applicant has been given a conditional job offer. This is because, in the past

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding regulations for apprenticeship programs (CFR 29 1625.13) under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), as amended. The notice is scheduled to appear in the Federal Register this week.

The ADEA regulations currently provide that apprenticeship programs are exempt from the provisions of the age discrimination law. This

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PRESS RELEASE
8-3-95

NEW YORK -- Gilbert F. Casellas, Chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today announced that 15 women who were sexually harassed by the CEO of Del Laboratories of Farmingdale, N.Y., will receive over $1 mi llion in settlement of a lawsuit filed by EEOC on their behalf.

The consent decree, filed today in U.S. District Court in Long Island, provides for $1,185,000 to be

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that the federal district court in Los Angeles gave preliminary approval to an agreement between EEOC and Trans World Airlines, Inc. (TWA) that resolves a lawsuit charging TWA with pregnancy discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The proposed settlement provides 10 special travel vouchers that may be used for round-trip travel anywhere in TWA's flight

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a policy statement affirming the agency's commitment to using alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods throughout its operations.

"The adoption of this ADR policy reflects the Commission's determination to devise innovative ways to settle employment discrimination disputes in a cost-effective, fair, and timely manner," EEOC Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas said in announcing the new policy.

"ADR is a practical concept

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner (EEOC) R. Gaull Silberman has been appointed the first Executive Director of the Office of Compliance, an independent office within the legislative branch of the Federal Government. The Office of Compliance was established by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to enforce 11 civil rights and labor laws made applicable to the legislative branch by the Act. Four of those laws are enforced by EEOC in

WASHINGTON -- Clifford Gregory Stewart was sworn-in on July 5 as General Counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by Commission Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas. Mr. Stewart's nomination was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 30. He was named to the post by President Clinton in January 1995.

"Mr. Stewart's arrival has been eagerly anticipated by everyone at the Commission. He assumes a critical leadership role in the agency's

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today sued Exxon Corporation for applying a nationwide, blanket policy of excluding all employees with a record of past substance abuse from certain jobs in violation of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Dallas.

The suit was brought after EEOC's conciliation attempts failed to resolve the disputed demotions of

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas today announced the appointment of Elizabeth M. Thornton as Director of the Office of Program Operations (OPO). Ms. Thornton currently serves as Deputy Legal Counsel at EEOC, a position she has held since September 1990.

Chairman Casellas said, "It is with great pleasure that I appoint Ms. Thornton to direct the operations of the field. I believe her outstanding experience

WASHINGTON -- On May 22, 1995, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) adopted a broad set of significant recommendations to improve its relationship with state and local Fair Employment Practice Agencies (FEPAs) to which the Commission defers an average of more than 48,000 charges a year for processing. The recommendations were presented by Commissioner Joyce E. Tucker, chairman of the Commission's Task Force on Fair Employment Practice Agencies (FEPA

WASHINGTON -- On April 25, 1995, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) adopted the recommendations of the agency's Task Force on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR Task Force), laying the groundwork for the use of mediation-based ADR to enhance EEOC's charge processing system. The recommendations were presented at a special Commission meeting by Commissioners R. Gaull Silberman and Paul Steven Miller, co-chairs of the ADR Task Force. The Commission's actions regarding

WASHINGTON -- At a special meeting held Wednesday, April 19, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) adopted a wide ranging set of innovative recommendations to radically improve the agency's private sector charge processing systems. The recommendations were presented by EEOC Vice Chairman Paul M. Igasaki, chairman of the Commission's Charge Processing Task Force (CP Task Force).

In November 1994, EEOC Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas directed the CP Task Force to thoroughly

WASHINGTON -- A special meeting of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will be held Wednesday, April 19, at 2:30 p.m. for presentation and discussion of recommendations from Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas and Vice Chairman Paul M. Igasaki to strengthen and improve agency operations. Their recommendations were developed in part from the Commission's Task Force on Charge Processing (CP Task Force) led by Vice Chairman Igasaki, one of three commissioner-led task

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today released Compliance Manual Section 902: Definition of the Term "Disability" to EEOC investigators and the public. The guidance provides information and instructions for determining whether an individual has a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

In announcing the release of the guidance, EEOC Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas said, "This guidance will not only give EEOC

President Clinton today announced his intent to nominate Clifford Gregory Stewart as General Counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Mr. Stewart currently serves as the Director of the Division on Civil Rights in the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, an appointed position he has held since 1990.

EEOC Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas said, "President Clinton has made an outstanding choice for this critically important position. Greg Stewart

WASHINGTON -- At the first meeting of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) since April 12, 1994, new Chairman Gilbert F. Casellas announced the formation of three task forces to address critical issues facing the EEOC.

At Chairman Casellas' request, Vice Chairman Paul M. Igasaki will chair the Task Force on Charge Processing, Commissioner Joyce E. Tucker will chair the Task Force on Fair Employment Practices Agencies (FEPAs), and

WASHINGTON -- Three weeks into assuming the chairmanship of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Gilbert F. Casellas has set a fast pace in getting to know the people who make up the agency and how the agency operates, as well as seeking ways to make the Commission function better. He will be in Chicago Thursday to confer with the staff of the EEOC Chicago District Office and to meet with constituency and business groups