Examples of EEOC Lawsuits Related to Human Trafficking

Stopping human trafficking that includes illegal job discrimination is a priority for the EEOC. The EEOC has investigated charges (complaints) of discrimination and filed lawsuits on behalf of trafficking victims. For example:

• EEOC v. Global Horizons, Inc.: The EEOC filed a race and national origin discrimination lawsuit for more than 200 Thai farmworkers. The workers were screamed at, hit, threatened, and not allowed to leave. They also were forced to live in unsafe housing. The workers were charged high recruitment fees that were impossible to repay, had their passports taken, and were threatened with deportation if they complained. A judge ordered the company to pay the workers $12 million.
• EEOC v. Signal International: The EEOC filed a national origin and race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit for around 500 Indian workers who were recruited to work as welders, pipefitters, and ship fitters. The EEOC argued that the workers were given bad housing, food, and living conditions and the most dangerous, hard, and dirty jobs. The EEOC also claimed the workers were called offensive names. The EEOC argued that the company retaliated against two workers who complained by trying to have them deported. The case settled for $5 million, and the CEO apologized and admitted the company was at fault.
• EEOC. v. Hill Country Farms, Inc., doing business as Henry’s Turkeys: The EEOC filed a disability discrimination lawsuit for 32 workers with intellectual disabilities who were hit and kicked at work, forced to carry heavy weights as punishment, and called names. The workers were paid less than other workers with similar skills and experience, forced to live in bad housing, and not given medical care they needed. A jury awarded the workers $240 million (later lowered because of legal limits on the amount of money that discrimination victims can receive).
• EEOC v. John Pickle Co., Inc.: The EEOC filed a race and national origin discrimination lawsuit for more than 50 Indian workers who were harassed, forced to work long hours for little pay, given unskilled work, prevented from leaving, and threatened with deportation. A judge awarded the workers $1.24 million.
• EEOC v. Trans Bay Steel, Inc.: The EEOC filed a national origin discrimination lawsuit for 48 Thai welders. The EEOC argued that the workers were forced to work without pay, threatened with deportation, required to pay unreasonably high recruiting fees, and given housing without electricity, water, or gas. The case settled for $1 million. 

For more information about EEOC lawsuits involving human trafficking, visit the EEOC’s Human Trafficking web page, https://www.eeoc.gov/human-trafficking, and the EEOC’s Newsroom page, https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom.