The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Kenosha Nissan, alleging the dealership retaliated against multiple employees who reported racial harassment and fired one employee in violation of federal law.
According to the lawsuit, several Black employees reported racial harassment by management in 2024. The EEOC alleges a manager threatened employees who contacted HR, telling one that the manager would “make [their] lives a living hell” and telling another employee who raised concerns to “shut up.”
The agency also alleges the dealership changed office policies and work schedules after the complaints and began heavily disciplining employees for minor infractions, including some the EEOC says were false. Several employees eventually resigned because they feared being fired, according to the lawsuit. Kenosha Nissan also allegedly fired an employee in retaliation for complaining about the harassment and/or because of his race.
“Retaliation against employees who report or oppose unlawful discrimination violates federal law and can discourage others from coming forward,” said Catherine Eschbach, acting EEOC general counsel. “Employees must be able to exercise their rights under Title VII without fear of punishment for doing so.”
The EEOC filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin after efforts to reach a pre-litigation settlement through the agency’s administrative conciliation process were unsuccessful.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
