(Source: Miami Times)
El Dorado Furniture Corporation has agreed to pay $1.3 million to a class of white, Black and other non-Hispanic job applicants to resolve a federal hiring discrimination investigation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced.
The EEOC said its investigation found reasonable cause to believe the Florida furniture retailer engaged in a companywide practice of favoring Hispanic applicants for all positions and failed to hire a class of Black, white and other non-Hispanic applicants from November 2022 through February 2026.
The company operates 19 retail stores across Florida, according to the EEOC.
The alleged hiring practices violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and national origin, the agency said.
“Ensuring all applicants get a fair chance at being hired regardless of their race or national origin is critical to the mission of the EEOC,” said Kristen Foslid, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District. “We commend El Dorado for its cooperation and for undertaking significant measures to ensure that all hiring decisions going forward are based on qualifications — not race or national origin.”
The agreement followed the EEOC’s investigation and a federal pre-litigation conciliation process between the agency and El Dorado.
In addition to the $1.3 million payment, the company agreed to revise its hiring policies and guidelines, maintain anti-discrimination policies and provide annual discrimination training to employees involved in recruiting or hiring. The company also agreed to other non-monetary measures intended to prevent discriminatory hiring practices in the future.
“Every applicant deserves to be considered on their merits, without race or national origin being a factor,” said EEOC Miami District Director Evangeline Hawthorne. “This agreement helps reinforce that principle and supports fair, merit-based hiring.”
The EEOC said the agreement resolves the allegations identified through its investigation.
