Planned Parenthood chapter settles with EEOC over treatment of white employees

A sign hangs over the front of a Planned Parenthood clinic on May 18, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson/Getty Images North America hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images North America

Planned Parenthood of Illinois has agreed to pay $500,000 to end a government investigation into charges of discrimination tied to the organization's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The settlement stems from charges investigated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency tasked with investigating claims of discrimination in the private sector.

According to the EEOC, Planned Parenthood of Illinois violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it "segregated employees by race, subjected white employees to harassment, and engaged in disparate treatment against white employees regarding terms, conditions, and privileges of employment."

In a statement Thursday, EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas wrote that segregating employees by race violates "the core promise of our nation's civil rights laws."

"Title VII guarantees equal treatment for every employee and prohibits race discrimination in America's workplaces," she wrote. "Those protections equally apply to white workers."

The agency says its investigation was prompted by charges brought by multiple employees. It found Planned Parenthood required staff to attend, on a weekly basis, either sessions of 'affinity caucuses' segregated by race in which employees of other races were not allowed to participate, or DEI-related training sessions "which involved repeated harassing and derogatory statements targeting white employees, including that they 'are White and do not feel racism the same way non-White patients feel.'"

Planned Parenthood of Illinois, an affiliate of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, acknowledged the settlement in a statement without confirming the details of the EEOC's investigation.

"We have come to an agreement about a path forward that will allow us to continue providing critical health care services to our valued patients from Illinois and across the country," wrote Michelle Wetzel, general counsel for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, in a statement. "Planned Parenthood of Illinois has zero tolerance for bigotry, discrimination or harassment of any kind."

Under President Trump, the EEOC has taken an increasingly aggressive stance against DEI, with Chair Lucas calling for an end to "identity politics" and warning employers that their DEI initiatives could put them at legal risk.

In guidance issued a year ago, Lucas warned that DEI programs or practices may be unlawful if an employer takes "an employment action motivated — in whole or in part— by an employee's or applicant's race, sex, or another protected characteristic.

Last month, Lucas sent a memo to leaders of Fortune 500 companies reminding them of their obligations under the landmark civil rights law.

The settlement comes as the EEOC is investigating Nike over its DEI policies, including goals the company set for diversifying its staff. The EEOC has also sued a Coca Cola bottler and distributor in federal court, alleging that the company discriminated against white men when it held a two-day networking event for female employees.