UCSD, feds agree on racial harassment settlement

UT San Diego
Karen Kucher
10:45 a.m., April 13, 2012
Updated 6:36 p.m.
Complaints involving noose, KKK-style hood sparked federal probe

UC San Diego has voluntarily agreed to take steps to prevent racial harassment on the La Jolla campus after federal officials launched an investigation into several complaints, including the public display of nooses and a Ku Klux Klan-style hood in 2010.

Under terms of the agreement, which was announced Friday, the university will maintain an office to receive, investigate and resolve complaints of harassment and discrimination; revise its campus policies regarding racial harassment to ensure they are consistent with federal civil rights law; and provide training for staff and students.

Full Story: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/apr/13/ucsd-agrees-racial-harassement-prevention-efforts/

Class action settlement in Verizon ADA case continues EEOC trend

Lexology.com
Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC
USA
September 16 2011

Background
On July 6, 2011, Verizon agreed to pay $20 million as part of a consent decree to settle a class action filed by the EEOC in federal court in Maryland, which alleged the company maintained a "no fault" attendance policy which contains multiple steps of discipline, up to and including discharge, for all absences, including absences caused by an employee's disability, except for certified FMLA leave, jury or military duty, death in the immediate family or excused time without pay. Verizon's policies mandate that when an employee accumulates a certain number of "chargeable absences" an employee is placed on a disciplinary step, and additional absences incurred during the step period result in the employee being placed in the next step, which has more serious consequences, including termination. In its operation, the EEOC alleged that an employee who was on workers' compensation leave due to a disability arising from a work-related injury was automatically terminated after one year of leave without consideration of whether a reasonable accommodation under the ADA might have allowed the employee to return to work.

Full Story: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=71b8713b-21a3-4fa8-8c8a-ef888e6ec8d8

Bank of America Settles Bias Suit

The New York Times
By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Published: November 16, 2010

Bank of America has settled a lawsuit filed by a broker who claimed that the bank’s Merrill Lynch unit discriminated against women through its partnership model. Jamie Goodman, a broker who worked at Merrill since 1992, sued the company last year in federal court in Manhattan. United States District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin wrote in a court order on Tuesday that both sides told her that they had reached a settlement. Terms were not disclosed.

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/business/17merrill.html?_r=1&src=busln