The federal government has sued Bass Pro over alleged racial discrimination in its hiring practices dating back to 2005. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency charged with enforcing anti-discrimination laws in employment, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Houston on Wednesday.
The lawsuit alleges that qualified African-Americans and Hispanics were routinely denied positions at Bass Pro stores and that managers of stores in Houston, Louisiana and other locations made derogatory racial comments acknowledging the practice.
The commission also alleges that Bass Pro destroyed documents related to applications and internal discrimination complaints and retaliated against those who spoke up.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the suit stems from a 6-year-old complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by a white manager at the Bass Pro Outdoor World store in Katy. The manager alleged she was fired when she complained to her boss about mistreatment of black job applicants and employees.
The subsequent investigation led federal officials to believe that the alleged practice of not hiring minorities for hourly or salaried positions was a nationwide pattern in Bass Pro's 55 stores. The agency launched an inquiry in 2007 against Bass Pro, which led to the class action lawsuit in Houston federal court.
In addition to the allegations of discrimination and retaliation, the agency alleges that Bass Pro destroyed employment applications and internal discrimination complaints.
Larry L. Whiteley, communications manager for Bass Pro, told the Chronicle that the company never comments on ongoing litigation.
