U.S. Sues Sears, Accusing It of Racial Bias

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Sears, Roebuck, contending that it illegally fired an automotive repair store manager because he was black. Sears dismissed Edwin Broadard, who ran the store in Maple Shade, N.J., for violating company ethics policies, the commission said in federal court in Camden, N.J. Mr. Broadard, who had received high performance ratings, did not previously violate company policies in his eight years there, the agency said. Sears discriminated against Mr. Broadard, the lawsuit said, "by terminating his employment for alleged ethics policy violations while similarly situated white employees received only warnings for engaging in the same or similar conduct." The suit seeks to force the company to end unlawful practices against black employees and to recover back pay as well as punitive damages for Mr. Broadard. [more ]