55 | EEOC-INITIATED LITIGATION: 2026 EDITION ©2026 Seyfarth Shaw LLP KEY SETTLEMENTS SECURED IN FY 2025 EEOC v. AccentCare, Case No. 2:25-cv-00310 (E.D. Pa.) The EEOC reached a settlement with a Texasbased home healthcare services company following allegations of sex-based pay discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII and the Equal Pay Act. According to the EEOC, female licensed practical nurses at one of the employer’s Pennsylvania locations were paid less than a male colleague performing equal work, despite having superior qualifications. When one of the female nurses repeatedly complained about the pay disparity and requested a raise, the employer allegedly retaliated by terminating her employment. The case was resolved through a two-year consent decree under which the employer agreed to pay $26,000 in monetary relief as well as implement non-monetary measures. Such measures include providing training on the EPA and Title VII for personnel involved in compensation decisions at the relevant office, posting notices informing employees of their rights under federal law, and reporting any complaints of sex-based pay discrimination to the EEOC. KEY CASES FILED IN FY 2025 EEOC v. Grifols USA, LLC, et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-3066 (D. Colo.) According to the EEOC’s complaint, a registered nurse applied for a position at a plasma donation center in Pueblo, Colorado in March 2022. The nurse’s conditional offer of employment was rescinded in April after she requested a reasonable accommodation related to her alcohol and substance use disorders. The nurse had successfully completed a drug rehabilitation program approximately eight months prior and was actively participating in a monitoring program administered by Colorado’s Peer Assistance Services, Inc. for healthcare professionals. The EEOC claims that her accommodation request was denied, and her offer of employment revoked, citing internal policies prohibiting the employment of nurses with license restrictions and requiring submission of treatment program reports. The EEOC asserts that these restrictions did not impair the nurse’s ability to perform essential job functions and that the reporting obligation would have required only 10 to 15 minutes to complete. EEOC v. South Valley Care Ctr. LLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-569 (D.N.M.) The EEOC brought suit against a long-term nursing care facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, alleging violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Title VII. According to the EEOC’s complaint, older employees working in the laundry department were subjected to harassment and discriminatory treatment by their supervisor. The supervisor allegedly made derogatory comments such as, “[y]ou are too old now, you cannot get another job,” and “[y]ou should be ashamed of yourself for getting pregnant at 40 years old.” The EEOC further alleged that older workers were treated less favorably than younger employees, including being denied the WY CO UT AZ NM Phoenix EEOC Phoenix District Office DISTRICT PROFILE Director: Melinda Caraballo Regional Attorney: Mary Jo O’Neill Merit Cases Filed in FY 2025: 7 Average Days Between Determination Letter & Failure to Conciliate: 94 Average Days Between Failure to Conciliate & Complaint: 124 Average Days Between Determination Letter & Complaint: 254 ©2026 Seyfarth Shaw LLP
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