DENVER - Cargill Meat Solutions, headquartered in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve charges of discrimination investigated by the Denver Field Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the agency, the EEOC found reasonable cause to believe Somali, African and Muslim employees were harassed, denied their requests for prayer breaks, and fired from their employment at Cargill's Fort Morgan, Colo., beef processing plant. While Cargill does not accept the EEOC's findings, it decided to settle out of court to avoid a protracted legal proceeding.

Together with a financial settlement for the individuals involved, Cargill will continue to conduct mandatory training for all management and hourly personnel at its Colorado facility explaining employee rights under Title VII to be free from discrimination based on their race, national origin, retaliation, and their right to be accommodated for their sincerely held religious beliefs.

"We applaud Cargill for working with the charging parties and the EEOC to reach a meaningful resolution enabling all parties to move forward," said EEOC Phoenix District Director Elizabeth Cadle.