Two subsidiaries of parent company TFI International Inc. (NYSE: TFII) will pay $460,000 to settle a sexual orientation and retaliation lawsuit, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Monday.
TA Dedicated, formerly Transport America, and Transportation Enterprise Services were sued by the EEOC over the reported treatment of two gay mechanics. The EEOC said Gary Pugh and Kristopher Neville were harassed and terminated because of their sexual orientation; the men were also allegedly retaliated against for complaining about the harassment and hostile work environment.
The consent decree requires the companies to create and maintain a third-party hotline for employees to report sex discrimination or retaliation, which TA Dedicated must “promptly” investigate.
“We are pleased this settlement provides meaningful compensation to the mechanics who suffered harassment because of their sexual orientation and retaliation for speaking up,” said Debra Lawrence, regional attorney of the EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office, in an announcement. “And the reporting hotline, training, tracking, posting, and EEOC monitoring required by the consent decree should help ensure that other LGBTQI+ persons don’t have to endure similar abuse.”
A TFI spokeswoman declined to comment on the case.