Home Depot Sued For Racial Discrimination

The black employees alleged management retaliated against them when they complained of various instances of discrimination in the store. “Ea ch of these plaintiffs were discriminated against based on their race because they were African-American,” said Richard Darst, attorney for the plaintiffs, according to an Indianapolis Star report.

Among the plaintiffs’ complaints, one employee claims he was promoted to home delivery coordinator but did not receive a pay raise. Also, he was trained as a “front-end supervisor,” a position instead given to a white employee instead. Akers filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in December 2002 and was terminated April 22, the lawsuit claims.

Another employee alleges she did not receive a promotion from cashier to head cashier. When she complained to Home Depot about racial discrimination the company stopped her from receiving phone calls, even though she said other employees are permitted to receive nonemergency calls.

Additionally, Darst said the employees filed EEOC complaints and are seeking an unspecified amount of back pay, lost future earnings, compensatory and punitive damages. Last year, the EEOC filed a class action against Home Depot on behalf of a California woman who claimed less qualified men were hired instead of her.

A spokesman for Home Depot said he had not yet reviewed the case and could not comment.