EEOC Files Suit Against Grand Central Partnership

The EEOC lawsuit says GCP fired a black Rastafarian security officer in retaliation for his complaints about threats of violence and racism.

In 2009, EEOC and GCP settled an earlier lawsuit about GCP’s treatment of Rastafarian and Caribbean security officers with a consent decree filed in federal court. In that settlement, the parties had agreed that GCP would offer accommodations for the religious practices of the Rastafarian security officers and not retaliate against Rastafarian security officers for their participation in the lawsuit. As part of that settlement, GCP is still subject to supervision by the federal court in that action.

The new lawsuit claims in 2010, the hostility toward Rastafarians at GCP erupted again when a non-Caribbean security officer threatened to shoot and kill a group of Rastafarian officers. After a white security supervisor made light of the physical threats made to the Rastafarian security officers, one Rastafarian security officer objected to the supervisor’s conduct and his past discrimination. Additionally, he called the supervisor a racist for referring in the past to a group of Rastafarians with the “N word” and threatening to stand in the way of their getting paid for their work. After the security officer complained to the supervisor and telephoned EEOC, GCP fired him about three months later.

The EEOC filed suit, Civil Action No.11 Civ. 9682 SDNY, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, after attempting to reach a voluntary pre-litigation settlement.