Minorities win bias lawsuit

Jet, Dec 6, 2004

* MINORITIES WIN BIAS LAWSUIT: Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch

has agreed to pay $40 million to Black, Hispanic and Asian employees and job applicants to settle the class-action federal discrimination lawsuit that accused the store of promoting Whites at the expense of minorities, according to lawyers. Minority plaintiffs addressing the media in a Los Angeles news conference are (l-r) Jennifer Lu, 22, Brandy Hawk, 20, Patrice Douglass, 20, Carla Grubb, 21, and Eric Fight 23. The settlement requires the company to adhere to a consent decree that calls for new policies and programs to promote diversity and prevent discrimination in its workplace. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) estimated the lawsuit would affect more than 10,000 minority men and women.