Sunnybrook Union to Pay $110,000 in EEOC Race Discrimination Lawsuit

CHICAGO – Sunnybrook Union, a labor union representing teachers and educational support staff in the Sunnybrook School District in Lansing, Illinois, will pay $110,000 and provide other relief to settle a race discrimination case filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a black man who worked as a custodian for Sunnybrook School District 171, was denied a promotion on the base of his race. When the school district attempted to promote him to the role of head custodian outside of the terms of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the union stopped the promotion by filing a grievance. In other instances where non-black employees were offered promotions or employment terms outside of the CBA, the union did not oppose the actions, and in some cases actively bargained to permit those promotions to go forward.

“Title VII’s prohibition of race discrimination applies to labor organizations as well as employers,” said Victor Chen, an EEOC spokesperson. “The EEOC is committed to holding unions accountable for their unlawful conduct.”

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits labor organizations from discriminating against members on the basis of race and causing or attempting to cause an employer to discriminate against an individual because of their race, sex, religion or other protected class. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Sunnybrook Education Association, IEA-NEA, Case No. 1:23-cv-2804) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

Under the consent decree resolving the case, which will last until approximately the end of the 2026-2027 school year, Sunnybrook Union will pay $110,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to the affected employee. Additionally, Sunnybrook Union will provide training to its officers, will distribute a “know-your-rights” document to bargaining unit members and will provide periodic reports to EEOC on allegations of race discrimination made against Sunnybrook Union to ensure compliance with Title VII.

For more information on race and color discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Chicago District Office has jurisdiction over Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC.gov)