LM Wind Power, Inc. Agrees to Pay $125,000 in EEOC Racial Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – LM Wind Power, Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of wind turbine blades, has agreed to pay $125,000 and provide other equitable relief to settle a racial harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a Black employee’s managers and co-workers subjected him to pervasive racial harassment, including racial slurs and insults, and racially charged threats of violence. The employee reported the harassment, but leadership at LM Wind Power’s Grand Forks failed to take effective steps to stop it. The EEOC also asserted retaliation claims on behalf of the employee, after he was terminated for complaining about continuing harassment from co-workers.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial harassment and retaliation and requires employers to take prompt action to investigate and stop misconduct after they become aware of it. After first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through conciliation, the EEOC filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota (Civil Action No. 3:23-cv-086). The decree settling the suit requires LM Wind Power to pay $125,000 in monetary damages and back pay to the former employee, and to conduct trainings designed to prevent future discrimination. The decree requires LM Wind Power to notify employees about their right to be free from discrimination and harassment based on race, and free from retaliation for objecting to discriminatory conditions.

“Title VII protects employees from race discrimination and guarantees them the right to work in an environment that is free from racial insults and threats,” said Greg Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District Office. “Employers have an obligation to address and correct offensive conduct of this kind, and the decree entered by the court today will help ensure a safe and respectful work environment for LM Wind Power’s employees.”

The director of the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, Amrith Aakre, said, “It is critical that employees feel free to report or oppose illegal discrimination without fear of retaliation. Terminating an employee for reporting discrimination is illegal, and the EEOC will continue to vigorously enforce this law.” 

For more information on harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/harassment. For more information on retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

The EEOC's Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of employment discrimination, administrative enforcement and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with area offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.