RETALIATION: EEOC Charges NY-Based Insurance Broker for Violating Federal Law

October 3, 2011

New York - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed charges against Sterling and Sterling, a New York-based insurance broker, for violation of federal anti-discrimination law when it suspended and terminated a sales marketer for filing an EEOC questionnaire and a suit, a statement released from its website said.

The statement said the suit arose from an incident in September 2009 when Rochelle Legette, who was on maternity leave, complained about alleged race and sex discrimination through the EEOC questionnaire and Sterling was notified about it. Thereafter, the victim said Sterling began scrutinizing her work and she was counseled for poor performance. She was later suspended and fired from work.

The EEOC filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Civil Action No. CV-11-4786) after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement out of court.

EEOC New York regional attorney Elizabeth Grossman has also reiterated that the federal law protects all persons who file charges as the Supreme Court has declared that an EEOC questionnaire is the same as a charge.