Nationwide Staffing Agency and Its Client Deny Employment Opportunities to Women and Minority Workers, Federal Agency Charged

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit against the national staffing agency BaronHR, LLC and Radiant Services Corporation, a commercial laundry facility that serves the hospitality industry in Southern California, for discriminatory denial of employment based on race, national origin, and sex, the federal agency announced today

The EEOC charged that since 2015, BaronHR and Radiant failed to recruit, refer, and hire Black, Asian, and White applicants for low-skill positions. The EEOC further alleged that Radiant requested only female applicants for certain “light” job positions, and only male applicants for “heavy” job positions. BaronHR acquiesced by recruiting and referring applicants based solely on their sex, the EEOC said.

Finally, the EEOC alleges that BaronHR required that applicants have no medical conditions or history of injury. BaronHR’s unlawful hiring criteria excluded qualified individuals with disabilities, perceived disabilities, or a record of a disability.

The EEOC investigated BaronHR and Radiant following Commissioner’s Charges alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibit discrimination in recruitment and hiring. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Radiant Services Corp. and BaronHR, LLC, Case No. 2:22-cv-06517) in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

“Staffing agencies and employers have a dual-employer relationship, which makes both responsible for ensuring a discrimination-free workplace,” said Anna Park, regional attorney for the Los Angeles District Office. “Preferential hiring has no place in the workforce and acquiescing to such requests extends liability from the employer to the staffing agency.”

Acting Los Angeles District Director Christine Park-Gonzalez said, “Screening out qualified job applicants based on sex, race, national origin or disability is prohibited under federal law. The EEOC is here to ensure that job applicants and workers are protected from such injustices in the workplace.”

Eliminating barriers in recruitment and hiring, especially class-based recruitment and hiring practices that discriminate against racial, ethnic and religious groups, older workers, women, and people with disabilities, is one of six national priorities identified by the Commission’s Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP).

For more information about race and color discrimination, visit the EEOC’s website at https://www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination; for information on sex discrimination: https://www.eeoc.gov/sex-based-discrimination; for information on national origin discrimination: https://www.eeoc.gov/national-origin-discrimination; and for information on disability discrimination: https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc-disability-related-resources.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.