Lockheed Settles Race Discrimination Suit
According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, Lockheed Martin Corp. settled a race discrimination suit for $2.5 million. The article went on to state that this was the largest individual race discrimination payment obtained by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The fact that this settlement was reported at the start of a new year, perhaps might provide us with a prediction of things still to come.
The strength and persistence of the EEOC can be a strong factor in providing a message to employers. In fact, it is believed by some that the EEOC is particularly interested in moving forward with high visibility matters because it helps send a message to employers that the EEOC is there to provide some measure of control over what would otherwise be a workplace that has minimal policing. The more visible the company involved, the more visible the message.
The article reflected figures provided by EEOC officials, which stated that race discrimination complaints reached 7,000 in FY 2007. The EEOC was said to have launched a strong effort to broaden education and intensify enforcement against race discrimination in the workplace. The fact is, discrimination in the workplace, in all its forms, should become the subject of greater effort and stronger surveillance not only by the EEOC, but from individuals who are aware of discriminatory practices in the workplace. The rallying cry should not simply be emanating from the EEOC, but from all of those individuals who suffer from employment discrimination.
