The U.S. government sued Exxon Mobil Corp. for racial discrimination against a Black employee after the company allegedly failed to adequately respond to the appearance of five hangman’s nooses at a Louisiana petrochemical plant over several years.
Exxon “failed to take prompt measures reasonably calculated to end the harassment,” the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Louisiana. “Exxon Mobil’s actions and omissions regarding the noose incidents created a racially hostile work environment,” the EEOC said in a statement.
The agency accused Exxon of engaging in unlawful employment practices in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The suit was filed after a failed attempt by the government to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
