A Colorado Dodge dealership settled one of two investigations into discrimination by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to an Aug. 25 statement from the federal agency.
Christopher’s Dodge Ram agreed to pay $935,000 after the EEOC claimed the business discriminated against female applicants for sales positions.
The conciliation agreement is one of two separate EEOC probes into discrimination allegations at the dealership. The recent $935,000 agreement is the result of a process EEOC calls conciliation, which is an informal option the federal agency offers before legal action, according to its website. Another probe led to a lawsuit filed in late 2021, which is still pending in U.S. District Court in Colorado.
The EEOC said Christopher’s Dodge Ram did not hire female employees for sales positions and did not keep records at its Golden, Colo., dealership. Dealership leaders deny the allegations, said Courtney Kramer, the attorney representing the dealership in the agreement.
A conciliation agreement doesn’t prove wrongdoing, Kramer said.
“Christopher’s Dodge Ram denies that it engaged in any wrongdoing, unlawful behavior or discrimination, but ultimately agreed to enter this agreement with the EEOC because Christopher’s Dodge Ram welcomes any opportunity to improve, as well as to increase female representation in its workforce,” Kramer said.
On top of payment, the dealership agreed to increase female representation, change its hiring records-keeping and provide equal opportunity training to all employees, among other new practices.
“It’s difficult to get that strong representation given the business in the automotive industry and of selling cars,” Kramer said, adding leadership at Christopher’s Dodge Ram has always had this goal.
The EEOC’s other discrimination probe did not end in a conciliation agreement, but proceeded to a formal lawsuit filed in September 2021. The civil action lawsuit claims the dealership violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, according to an EEOC statement.
The pending suit says some employees were discriminated against as a result of the dealership’s work environment. The lawsuit mentions employee use of racial slurs, derogatory statements about gender and unwanted physical touching. It alleges reports of harassment were met with retaliation, including firing an employee and threatening to terminate another, according to the EEOC.
Christopher’s Dodge Ram leadership “denies all allegations and therefore made the choice to litigate all claims,” said Michelle Magruder, who represents the dealership in the pending case.
Female candidates who applied to Christopher’s Dodge Ram between Jan. 1, 2012 and June 14, 2022 could receive part of the conciliation agreement’s $935,000.
