KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Wednesday it was suing Lowe's Companies Inc. for discrimination against black job applicants at a Lowe's distribution center.
The EEOC's lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, accuses the nation's second largest home improvement retailer ``with failing to hire a class of qualified African American applicants due to their race.''
The complaint says the discrimination occurred between 2002 and 2003 at a 43-employee Lowe's distribution facility in Vonore, about 15 miles south of Knoxville. The center serves more than 139 Lowe's stores in the region.
The EEOC identified Curtis Carter and Tiffany Carter as among the qualified applicants ``denied positions ... because of their race.''
A Lowe's spokeswoman said the Mooresville, N.C.,-based company had yet to see the lawsuit, but was aware of a news release from the EEOC.
``Lowe's does have a deep commitment to diversity,'' Lowe's spokeswoman Chris Ahearn said. ``We do not discriminate ... Our goal is to have a work force that reflects the community in which we do business.''
The EEOC said the lawsuit came after settlement efforts failed. The lawsuit seeks back pay with interest, compensatory damages and punitive damages.
Lowe's operates 950 stores in 45 states and has 153,000 employees. The company reported $30.8 billion in 2003 sales.
The company's shares were down 15 cents to close at $52.74 on the New York Stock Exchange.
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