Current:Home > InvestA U.S. federal agency is suing Exxon after 5 nooses were found at a Louisiana complex -Dynamic Money Growth
A U.S. federal agency is suing Exxon after 5 nooses were found at a Louisiana complex
View
Date:2025-04-15 16:37:57
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency, said it was suing ExxonMobil after several nooses were discovered at the company's complex in Baton Rouge, La.
The EEOC said ExxonMobil failed to take action after a Black employee discovered a noose at his work station at the chemical plant in January 2020. At the time, it was the fourth noose uncovered at the Baton Rouge site — and a fifth was found at the end of that year.
ExxonMobil allegedly "investigated some, but not all, of the prior incidents and failed to take measures reasonably calculated to end the harassment" which resulted in "a racially hostile work environment," according to the EEOC's statement on Thursday. ExxonMobil's lack of action, the federal agency alleges, was a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
"A noose is a longstanding symbol of violence associated with the lynching of African Americans," Elizabeth Owen, a senior trial attorney for the EEOC's New Orleans office, said in the statement. "Such symbols are inherently threatening and significantly alter the workplace environment for Black Americans."
"Even isolated displays of racially threatening symbols are unacceptable in American workplaces," Michael Kirkland, director of the EEOC's New Orleans field office, added.
ExxonMobil did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. On Friday, a company spokesperson told NBC News that it disagreed with the federal agency's findings.
"We encourage employees to report claims like this, and we thoroughly investigated," the spokesperson said. "The symbols of hate are unacceptable, offensive, and in violation of our corporate policies."
The EEOC filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, after it said it tried to reach a settlement.
The incident is one of several alarming discoveries of nooses on display in the past few years. In November, a noose was discovered at the Obama Presidential Center construction site in Chicago. In May 2022, a noose was found hanging from a tree at Stanford University. In May 2021, Amazon halted construction of a warehouse after several nooses were uncovered at a site in Connecticut. And in June 2020, nooses were found at a public park in Oakland, Calif.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Eva Mendes Reveals Whether She'd Ever Return to Acting
- Vermont town official, his wife and her son found shot to death in their home
- NASA plans for launch of Europa Clipper: What to know about craft's search for life
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler Shares Son Beau, 11, Has No Memory of Suffering Rare Illness
- First and 10: Texas has an Arch Manning problem. Is he the quarterback or Quinn Ewers?
- Suspension of security clearance for Iran envoy did not follow protocol, watchdog says
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Michael Hill and April Brown given expanded MLB roles following the death of Billy Bean
Ranking
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet
- Florida sheriff posts mug shot of 11-year-old charged in fake school shooting threat
- Kentucky governor bans use of ‘conversion therapy’ with executive order
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Justice Department sues over Baltimore bridge collapse and seeks $100M in cleanup costs
- LeanIn says DEI commitments to women just declined for the first time in 10 years
- Iconic Tupperware Brands seeks Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
New program will help inmates earn high school diplomas with tablets
Diddy is accused of sex 'freak off' parties, violence, abuse. What happened to 'transparency'?
Harassment case dismissed against Alabama transportation director
Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
Kentucky governor bans use of ‘conversion therapy’ with executive order
Scoring inquiry errors might have cost Simone Biles another Olympic gold medal
'Survivor' Season 47 premiere: Date, time, cast, how to watch and stream