Race Discrimination Suit filed by EEOC on Behalf of Black Sales Agents
The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) filed suit against Jon Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, Inc., an Atlanta-based home builder, for pattern and practice race discrimination. Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, Inc. assigned sales agents to housing communities based solely on their race. The African American agents were assigned to housing communities comprised of lower-priced homes while the Caucasian agents were assigned to housing communities of the more expensive homes. Accordingly, the African American sales agents were making significantly less commissions than their white peers.
The management expressly stated that the goal of such assignments was to hire and assign employees whose race corresponded with the predominate population of each community. The EEOC became involved when a human resource representative refused to participate in this discriminatory process. The complaint alleges that the company’s discriminatory conduct violated Title VII and seeks back pay and compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of the affected African American sales agents. Additionally, the EEOC seeks injunctive relief in an effort to stop the company’s racial discrimination.
