EEOC Sues Cinergy Entertainment Group for Retaliation | JD Supra

Federal Agency Charges Company Failed to Rehire Former Employee Because She Previously Filed EEOC Discrimination Charge

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cinergy Entertainment Group, Inc., a Texas corporation operating multiple cinema and entertainment centers around the country, violated federal law when it unlawfully retaliated against a former employee, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

The lawsuit alleged that in 2023, a former employee re-applied to work for Cinergy but was informed by a company vice president that she was not eligible for rehire because she filed a previous discrimination charge with the EEOC after being fired from a bartending position in 2022.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects individuals from workplace retaliation. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Cinergy Entertainment Group, Inc., Civil Action No.: 3:24-CV-00763) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its voluntary conciliation process.

The EEOC seeks monetary relief for the victim, including back pay, and compensatory and punitive damages. The EEOC also seeks injunctive relief against the company to end any ongoing retaliation, and to prevent such unlawful conduct in the future.

“Employees have a right to be free from discrimination in the workplace,” said Melinda C. Dugas, regional attorney for the Charlotte District. “Employers cannot tolerate such conduct or allow managers to retaliate against employees for reporting discrimination or for engaging in protected activities.”

For more information on retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

The EEOC’s Charlotte District is charged with enforcing federal employment anti-discrimination laws in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.