Planned Parenthood chapter settles with EEOC over treatment of white employees

"According to the EEOC, Planned Parenthood of Illinois violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it 'segregated employees by race, subjected white employees to harassment, and engaged in disparate treatment against white employees regarding terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.'"

"The agency says its investigation was prompted by charges brought by multiple employees. It found Planned Parenthood required staff to attend, on a weekly basis, either sessions of 'affinity caucuses' segregated by race in which employees of other races were not allowed to participate, or DEI-related training sessions which involved repeated harassing and derogatory statements targeting white employees."

"EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas wrote that segregating employees by race violates 'the core promise of our nation's civil rights laws.' 'Title VII guarantees equal treatment for every employee and prohibits race discrimination in America's workplaces. Those protections equally apply to white workers.'"

Planned Parenthood of Illinois agreed to a $500,000 settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to resolve discrimination charges. The EEOC investigation found the organization violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by segregating employees by race through mandatory affinity caucuses, subjecting white employees to harassment, and providing disparate treatment. Weekly sessions required staff to attend either race-segregated affinity groups or DEI training that included derogatory statements targeting white employees. The EEOC emphasized that civil rights protections apply equally to all workers regardless of race, and that workplace segregation violates fundamental civil rights principles.

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