New York Paralegal Blog

In a significant move to protect vulnerable individuals seeking help for substance use disorders, the operators of a Florida-based treatment clinic have faced penalties for their deceptive marketing practices. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against Evoke Wellness, LLC, for using misleading Google search ads and telemarketing tactics to impersonate other treatment providers. The Deceptive Scheme According to an FTC complaint filed in January 2025, Evoke Wellness and its officers targeted people searching online for specific addiction treatment facilities. Here’s how they did it: Misleading Google Ads: Evoke bid on the names of competing treatment centers as keywords for their Google ads. This meant that when someone searched for a different clinic by name, an ad for Evoke would appear, often leading the person to believe they were clicking on a link for the clinic they were actually seeking. The ads displayed Evoke's call center phone number. Impersonatio...

Employers Still Barring Large Groups of People from Jobs Based on Race, Sex, Age, Other Prohibited Bases WASHINGTON – Deliberate discrimination against job seekers based on their race, sex, age, national origin or other prohibited basis remains a major national problem, a battery of experts told the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) at a Commission meeting today. “Intentional discrimination in hiring remains a significant problem,” said EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien. “The EEOC will continue to address this problem through enhanced education and outreach and through vigorous enforcement of the law.” At the start of the meeting, EEOC General Counsel P. David Lopez recounted a hiring case he litigated against WalMart when he was an EEOC trial attorney in Phoenix. The case arose out of a charge by two deaf applicants who were expressly denied by the company because they were deaf. As part of a negotiated settlement, the company aired a commercial on Arizona t...

June 22 Meeting to Focus on Barriers to Employment in the 21st Century Workplace WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a public meeting at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) Wednesday, June 22, on the role of disparate treatment in hiring and the actions being taken by the EEOC and the private sector to address it. The meeting will be held at EEOC headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E. In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the meeting is open for public observation of the Commission’s deliberations. The Commission will hear from invited panelists. The meeting agenda includes: Panel 1: Synopsis of Disparate Treatment in Hiring Katharine W. Kores, District Director, EEOC Memphis District Office Bill Lann Lee, Plaintiff Employment Law Expert, Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker, & Jackson, P.C. Grace E. Speights, Defense Employment Law Expert, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Panel 2: EEOC’s Litigation Kate Boehringer, Supervisory Trial Attorney, EEOC B...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Delta Family Health and Fitness for Children, a psychiatric resident treatment center in Hamburg, Ark., will pay $87,500 to settle a lawsuit for retaliation brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The EEOC’s suit (Civil Action No. 9-1058) alleged that Delta violated federal anti-discrimination law when it fired an employee who complained about sexual harassment, an identified witness to the discrimination, and two other employees who had filed charges with the EEOC. One employee complained about sexual harassment on Jan. 4, 2008, and named a co-worker as a witness to the harassment. Both employees were terminated on Jan. 7, 2008. Two other employees filed charges of discrimination with the agency. Both of these employees were terminated on Oct. 24, 2008. Retaliation for complaining about discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Dis...

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gives Integrated Broadband Services a lesson in disparate treatment. Similarly situated analyst, one black and one white were disciplined unfairly. The white analyst who left 2 hours early from work twice in one week was given a written warning, whereas the black analyst who left 30 minuets early once in one week was fired. Integrated Broadband should have written them both up or fired them. Disparate treatment looks at equal treatment of employees in the workplace. It is unlawful to treat white employees better than black employees, there should always be equal treatment when it comes to rewards and punishment on the job. Integrated Broadband Services learned about disparate treatment at a cost of $60,0000.00 payed to the EEOC in a civil settlement. What are your opinions on equal employment issues? Feel free to leave a comment. By: Joel Irving. See, related story>>