EEOC accuses Iowa Walmart of race, sex discrimination after alleged denial of promotion for new mother
The federal government is suing Walmart over allegations of "inexcusable and unlawful" discrimination at a southeast Iowa store.
According to a Feb. 9 complaint filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, managers at the Walmart in Ottumwa encouraged an employee to apply for a manager job, then declined to promote her after she gave birth and took maternity leave. The commission also accused the store's managers of subjecting the woman, who is Black, to dirtier working conditions than a white colleague.
The EEOC filed racial and sexual discrimination charges, demanding that the Arkansas-based retail giant pay the employee lost wages for missing out on the promotion, as well as an additional amount for damages. The commission also asked a judge to force Walmart to change policies to prevent similar discrimination in the future.
Responding to the complaint, a Walmart spokesperson told Forbes earlier this month, "We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, and diversity and inclusion is a key company priority."
"We take allegations like this seriously and tried for the past two years to resolve this matter with the EEOC to avoid litigation. We will address the claims in Court after we are served.”
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What's in the complaint against the Ottumwa Walmart?
According to the complaint, Tiffanee Johnson began working for Walmart in 2014. At some point, managers encouraged her to apply for a promotion to become a manager herself.
After giving birth and taking maternity leave for about three months, Johnson applied for an opening as the manager of the store's pet division in February 2018. But, according to the complaint, assistant manager Kendra Moulton told her that "decisionmakers" promoted someone else because they didn't believe she would stay with the store long term, given that she had a baby at home.
Johnson did not respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.
“It is inexcusable and unlawful that qualified women are still facing these kinds of discriminatory barriers to career advancement in the workplace,” Gregory Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, said in a statement.
The commission also accused Walmart of racial discrimination because, according to the complaint, Johnson was told to go to a dirty storage closet to pump breast milk for her baby. The commission said the closet was cluttered and dirty, with dead bugs on the floor.
According to the complaint, store managers had previously allowed a white employee to pump breast milk in a clean office.
Walmart reported $13.7 billion in net income last year.
Tyler Jett covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at tjett@registermedia.com, 515-284-8215, or on Twitter at @LetsJett.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ottumwa Walmart facing federal sex, race discrimination complaint
