The EEOC filed suit against Ourisman Edgewood I, Inc., which operates as Ourisman Toyota 40, and parent company Ourisman Cars Management Company, LLC, alleging the dealership violated Title VII by failing to stop racial harassment that drove two Black salesmen to quit their jobs. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, targets a company that owns and operates approximately 50 car dealerships across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
According to the complaint, the harassment began in February 2023 when a finance manager at the Edgewood dealership called a Black car salesman 'boy.' Despite the salesman's complaint to management and subsequent counseling of the finance manager, the harassment escalated. The manager again used 'boy' to address the same salesman, and later used the term to address a group of Black salesmen. When the salesmen protested, the finance manager responded 'good night [the N-word]s!' according to the EEOC's allegations.
The company's response was inadequate, the EEOC alleges, as management failed to remove the finance manager from his position or impose serious consequences for the repeated use of racial slurs. This ineffective response created a hostile work environment that forced two of the Black salesmen to leave their jobs, according to the federal complaint.
The lawsuit represents part of the EEOC's ongoing enforcement priorities targeting racial discrimination in the workplace. The agency filed suit after attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process, indicating the company was unwilling to resolve the matter voluntarily.
'The use of racial slurs at work must be treated as serious misconduct, requiring the employer to immediately take effective measures to correct and prevent continued harassment,' said Debra Lawrence, regional attorney for the EEOC's Philadelphia District Office. 'When the employer fails to act, the EEOC will.'
EEOC Philadelphia District Director Jamie R. Williamson emphasized the Commission's commitment to combating workplace racism, stating that 'eliminating racial discrimination will always be at the forefront of the Commission's activities' and 'the more society advances, the more unacceptable this type of harassment becomes.'
The case will proceed in federal court where the EEOC will seek remedies that typically include monetary damages for affected employees, policy changes, and training requirements. The lawsuit underscores the agency's position that employers must take swift, decisive action when confronted with evidence of racial harassment to avoid liability under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.