According to reports, retail chain Bass Pro Outdoor World has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly discriminating during its hiring process.
The lawsuit was filed by the EEOC on behalf of several African American and Hispanic applicants who were allegedly turned away from job openings because of their race. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims any employees that spoke out about the company’s practice were reprimanded.
While the lawsuit alleges the hiring process carried racial discrimination in many stores, managers at the chain in Houston, Louisiana, as well as a few other unnamed locations, reportedly made derogatory racial comments when acknowledging the practice.
Bass Pro Shop officials have refuted the claims and backed the company’s hiring practices.
As part of the lawsuit, the EEOC provided the U.S. District Court in Houston with 250,000 pages of documentation it had compiled during its investigation.
The case highlights the importance of companies avoiding all actions perceived to be discriminatory, as similar professional liability lawsuits may arise, which can become expensive and damage a business’ reputation.
