By MICHAEL RUBINKAM (Associated Press)
Federal officials claim that the Sheetz convenience store chain discriminated against minority job seekers and have filed a lawsuit against the company.
Sheetz Inc., which has over 700 stores in six states, allegedly discriminated against Black, Native American, and multiracial job applicants by automatically rejecting those who didn't pass a criminal background check, as per U.S. officials.
This week, President Joe Biden visited a Sheetz store in Pennsylvania for snacks during his campaign.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued Sheetz and two subsidiary companies in Baltimore, alleging that the company's hiring practices have an unfair impact on minority applicants and violate federal civil rights law.
On Thursday, Sheetz stated that it does not condone any form of discrimination.
Company spokesperson Nick Ruffner mentioned, “Diversity and inclusion are essential parts of who we are. We take these allegations seriously. We have attempted to work with the EEOC for nearly eight years to find common ground and resolve this dispute.”
The family-run company, which has more than 23,000 employees, operates convenience stores and gas stations in six states.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in federal court, the same day Biden visited a Sheetz market in Pennsylvania for snacks and interactions with customers and staff.
Federal officials clarified that their allegation doesn't suggest Sheetz was driven by racial animosity, but rather concerns the company's use of criminal background checks for screening job applicants. The company is being sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on various factors.
According to EEOC attorney Debra M. Lawrence, “Federal law requires that if employment practices result in disproportionate impact due to race or other protected characteristics, the employer must demonstrate that they are necessary for ensuring safe and effective job performance.”
Lawrence then added, “Even if such necessity is proven, the practice is still illegal if there is an alternative method available that achieves the employer’s goals effectively but with less discriminatory impact.”
The actual number of affected job applicants is not immediately known, but the agency stated that Sheetz's discriminatory hiring practices date back to at least 2015.
The EEOC, an independent agency that enforces federal laws against workplace discrimination, is pushing for Sheetz to offer jobs to unlawfully rejected applicants and provide back pay, retroactive seniority, and other benefits.
The EEOC started investigating the convenience store chain following complaints from two job applicants about employment discrimination.
The agency discovered that Black, multiracial, and Native American job applicants faced rejection rates of 14.5%, 13.5%, and 13%, respectively, due to the company's criminal history screening.
In comparison, less than 8% of white applicants were denied a job because of a failed criminal background check, according to the EEOC’s lawsuit.
In 2022, the EEOC informed Sheetz that it was likely breaking civil rights law, but the agency's attempt to negotiate a settlement was unsuccessful, leading to this week’s lawsuit.
