Mooresville Hampton Inn Settles EEOC Racial Harassment Lawsuit

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – T.M.F. Mooresville, LLC, operating in Mooresville, North Carolina as Hampton Inn & Suites Mooresville / Lake Norman, has agreed to pay $60,000 and provide other non-monetary relief to resolve a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s complaint, from at least April 2017 through October 2018, a Black housekeeper employed by the company created a racially hostile work environment for a class of white housekeeping employees. The Black housekeeper referred to the white employees in racially derogatory terms, routinely chastised them, and interfered with their ability to perform their jobs.

The white employees reported the racial harassment to the company on multiple occasions, but instead of taking action to remedy the hostile conduct, the employer allowed the harassment to continue and escalate. The harassment resulted in emotional distress for several of the class members, one of whom was forced to quit her job as a result of the hostile work environment, the EEOC’s complaint said.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from race discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. T.M.F Mooresville, LLC, Civil Action No.: 5:21-cv-00128-KDB-DSC) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its voluntary conciliation process.

In addition to providing monetary relief, the two-year consent decree settling the suit requires T.M.F. Mooresville to implement a revised anti-discrimination and retaliation policy and train emp­loyees, supervisors and managers on the requirements and prohibitions concerning discrimination and retaliation under Title VII. T.M.F. Mooresville is also required to provide periodic reports to the EEOC.

“An employer violates federal law when it fails to take action to remedy race-based harassment in the workplace, regardless of the race of the employees who are targeted,” said Melinda C. Dugas, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District. “The EEOC applauds T.M.F. Mooresville’s efforts to revise its policies and to work with the EEOC to bring this matter to a fair and equitable resolution.”

EEOC Trial Attorney Samuel Williams added, “all employees deserve and should expect a workplace free of racial harassment. The EEOC will continue to work to ensure that all types of un­lawful harassment are eradicated from the workplace.”

For more information on race and color discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Charlotte District is charged with enforcing federal employment anti-discrimination laws in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.          

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.