In a recent lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claimed Peachstate Health Management LLC (dba AEON Global Health) violated federal laws by subjecting a black female client services employee to a hostile work environment based on her race and sex, and then fired her after she complained about her treatment.
The lawsuit will now proceed through the court process. The EEOC seeks back pay, punitive and compensatory damages, and injunctive relief to ensure future discrimination does not occur in the company’s workplace.
Case background
According to the suit, a supervisor routinely subjected the employee in question to regular verbal harassment that was primarily based on her race and sex. The victim made weekly reports of the abuse for more than two months, which resulted in a meeting with upper management in which those reports were discussed. In the meeting, AEON Global Health further subjected that employee to verbal harassment and then fired her.
The EEOC emphasizes such conduct is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits any racial or sexual harassment in the workplace, and makes it illegal for employers to fire, demote or retaliate against employees if they raise concerns about harassment or discrimination.
EEOC representatives said the company failed in its duty to protect the employee from the harassment, and did not take any steps to correct the misconduct. Instead of encouraging the employee to provide further reports of harassment or listening to those reports when they were provided, the company actually took part in the abuse itself, humiliating her before wrongfully terminating her.
If you believe you have been the victim of illegal harassment or discrimination in the workplace, speak to a knowledgeable whistleblower lawyer at Kardell Law Group for more information about the legal steps you can take.
