Whitman Begins EPA Tenure By Dropping Discrimination Suit

Feb. 7, 2001
Christine Todd Whitman opened her tenure as EPA administrator by\r\nmoving to drop the agency's legal battle over a discrimination lawsuit.

Christine Todd Whitman opened her tenure as EPA administrator by moving to drop the agency''s legal battle against a black female employee who won a $300,00 judgment in a discrimination lawsuit.

A federal jury last August ordered EPA to pay damages to Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, who said she suffered years of racial and sexual harassment.

Coleman-Adebayo is a senior adviser to EPA''s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances.

She claimed in her lawsuit that she was denied promotion on two occasions while white men in similar positions were not.

She said she was the target of racial slurs and suffered retaliation after she complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The jury awarded her $600,000 in compensatory damages. A U.S. district judge subsequently cut the award in half.

After the ruling in August, EPA released a statement saying, "The agency defended itself vigorously against these charges. We will be reviewing further options available to us along with the U.S. Attorney''s Office."

On Jan. 22, the Justice Department asked the judge to overturn the jury''s findings, order a new trial or further reduce the award to $50,000.

Whitman was sworn in as EPA administrator on Jan. 31. The next day she wrote a letter urging the Justice Department to withdrawal its motion to overturn the verdict.

"I believe that swift, final resolution of this issue best serves EPA employees, as well as the plaintiff," Whitman wrote.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

Sponsored Recommendations

3 Essential Elements for a Strong Safety Culture

March 13, 2024
Organizations globally have increased their attention on safety culture: trying to figure out what it really is and the aspects that are necessary to develop and sustain it. And...

Making the Case for Occupational Health Software

March 13, 2024
Deciding to invest in Occupational Health (OH) software can be a challenging leap for many organizations. This article will equip businesses with insightful strategies for effectively...

Fighting the Flu: Solutions for the Workplace

March 13, 2024
Seasonal flu continues to wreak considerable havoc both on individual wellness, as well as on our business continuity and productivity. Explore these solutions for protecting ...

Preventing SIFs with Digitization: Reduce Serious Injuries and Fatalities with Technology

March 13, 2024
This eBook discusses the origins of SIF prevention, outlines principles, models and tools available to EHS leaders to better detect and address SIF potential in their business...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!