Update: Louisiana Credit Union to Pay $110K in Retaliation Lawsuit Settlement

A Louisiana credit union has agreed to pay a former branch manager $110,000 to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced.

The EEOC filed suit against Lafayette, La.-based Lafayette Schools Federal Credit Union, now known as Meritus Credit Union, charging that it fired Connie Fields-Meaux because she opposed — and assisted another employee in opposing — its use of a racially offensive video during a training session.

Fields-Meaux ran the credit union’s branch in Crowley, La. The suit alleged that the credit union used the video, which depicted a caricature of a black fast food worker, as an example of “how not to provide customer service.”

Fields-Meaux, who is African-American, left the session because she found the video offensive, and she later reported that another employee, who is also black, had told her that he found the video offensive, as well. Within days, the credit union fired her without warning or explanation.

The EEOC filed its suit (Civil Action No. 18-6673) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana earlier this year. Under the three-year consent decree settling the suit, signed by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk, the credit union will pay Fields-Meaux $110,000 in monetary relief and provide a variety of other, non-monetary relief. For instance, the credit union will provide regular training to its employees on retaliation.

In a media release, Meritus stated that while the company has settled the case, it denies the allegations in the lawsuit. “We prefer the certainty of resolution over the cost of continued legal proceedings. The settlement is not an admission of liability, and we strongly maintain no violation occurred,” Meritus said.

Source: EEOC

Topics Lawsuits USA Louisiana