ATK to Pay $100,000 to Settle EEOC Race Discrimination Case

MINNEAPOLIS - Alliant Techsystems, Inc. (ATK), a Minnesota-based company that is one of the nation's largest aerospace and defense manufacturers, will pay $100,000 and furnish other relief to settle a race discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's suit, Tyeastia Green applied for a job at its Eden Prairie, Minn., location, where she would provide technical or IT support for ATK executives. Although a recruiter for ATK initially told her that she had gotten the job, ATK rejected her and hired a white male instead. The EEOC contended that the reasons given by ATK for its decision were a pretext for race discrimination.

Race discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The consent decree settling the suit requires that ATK pay $100,000 to Green and engage in extensive equitable relief. Among other things, ATK is enjoined from further discriminating in hiring based on race and from retaliating against persons who oppose practices made unlawful under Title VII. It will review its workplace policies to assure that they comply with Title VII and the record- keeping laws, and, particularly, review a policy that pertains to maintenance of interview notes. It will train its entire staff on the laws against discrimination. The decree will last three years and apply to ATK's headquarters in Minnesota and in Virginia.

"We found it was clear that ATK rejected Green because of the color of her skin, and not because of her skills, and that's illegal as well as unjust," said John Hendrickson, regional attorney for the EEOC's Chicago district. "We congratulate the company for agreeing to the terms of this decree, particularly the non-monetary relief, which will protect and benefit its employees."

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