Sheetz Inc., the convenience store chain with over 700 locations across six states, is facing a lawsuit from The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC, an independent agency that strives to protect employees from workplace discrimination, said Sheetz has been applying unlawful hiring practices since at least 2015.
According to the agency, Black job applicants were denied employment at a rate of 14.5%, with the company telling them they failed the screening test. Additionally, multiracial job seekers have been denied from the company at a rate of 13.5% and Native Americans are turned away at a rate of 13%, The Associated Press reported.
The EEOC’s lawsuit, filed in a Baltimore federal court on April 17, adds that fewer than 8% of white applicants were denied a job.
The EEOC launched an investigation after two job applicants raised allegations of discrimination against Sheetz. The agency is now demanding Sheetz to offer jobs to applicants who were turned away unlawfully. Additionally, EEOC is asking for Sheetz to provide back pay and other benefits.
EEOC filed the complaint under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the law which prohibits employers from discriminating based on race, sex, religion and national origin. Federal officials said it’s not clear if Sheetz’s hiring practices have been racially motivated.
However, officials also said there may be issues with how the company uses criminal background checks to screen potential employees. Sheetz responded to the allegations in a statement on April 18, saying it “does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”
“Diversity and inclusion are essential parts of who we are. We take these allegations seriously. We have attempted to work with the EEOC for nearly eight years to find common ground and resolve this dispute,” company spokesperson Nick Ruffner said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
Sheetz, a family-run company, has over 23,000 employees at its convenience stores and gas stations. The company operates locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.
