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SunTrust Mortgage settles federal racial discrimination lawsuit

SunTrust Mortage has now settled a federal racial discrimination lawsuit for treating Hispanics and African-Americans differently in its lending practices.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, this settlement awarded is the second largest that has ever been given in connection with discriminatory lending practices.  The complaint stated that SunTrust Mortgage charged African-American and Hispanic borrowers more than it did white borrowers in similar situations.

Minority borrowers filed the complaint alleging that they were faced with higher interest fees and more loan fees based solely on national origin or race. The claim states that this was done to nearly 20,000 people from 2005 to 2009. While the company denied any wrongdoing, they stated that they would settle in order to avoid litigation.


Gender discrimination case against UTMB dropped

A gender discrimination case against the University of Texas Medical Branch, filed after a nurse claimed that she was fired for an extramarital affair, has been dropped.

The decision in the case was reached last week and the case was dismissed. The centered around two nurses who were employed at UTMB, each of whom had a spouse working in another area of the university.

A confrontation involving the nurses and the male nurse’s spouse occurred in front of other UTMB employees and the woman who filed the suit ended the relationship as a result. The next day, the man complained of sexual harassment and both employees stated that they would no longer speak.

After three complaints, it was recommended that the woman be fired. The opinion stated that “violations of the sexual harassment policy were validated.” The woman was fired, but filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

To read more on this case, visit the Galveston Daily News online.


High Rate of Workplace Discrimination Claims in Florida

According to data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, there were 8,088 workplace discrimination claims filed in Florida last year, putting the state just behind Texas and 2nd in the nation.

Legal professionals suggest that the recession and current state of the economy may contribute to the pace of these claims. Additional factors leading to the high rate of these cases may include the sizable population and the concentration of minority workers. This is the third consecutive year that Florida has had the 2nd most claims.

Workplace discrimination is a serious concern that can prevent a person from being able to perform their job, and it can also cause intense emotional distress. Contact the Austin employment lawyers of The Melton Law Firm, if you have been discriminated against in the workplace.

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