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Henredon Furniture settles racial harassment lawsuit

By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 3, 2008

High Point — Henredon Furniture has agreed to pay $465,000 and take remedial action to settle a racial harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency reported Thursday.

The EEOC said it brought the suit on behalf of African-American employees who were subjected to a persistent racially hostile work environment at the High Point plant of Henredon, a division of Furniture Brands International.

A Furniture Brands spokesman did not respond to a call seeking comment.

According to the EEOC, from about 1998 through January 2006, African-American employees at the plant were subjected to racial slurs and name calling — including the "N" word — as well as threats by hangman's nooses that were displayed. The suit alleged that the harassment occurred almost daily.

The $465,000 in compensatory damages will be divided among seven class members cited in the lawsuit. The settlement also includes a three-year consent decree that enjoins Henredon from engaging in racial harassment or retaliation, requires anti-discrimination training, requires the posting of a notice about the settlement, and requires the company to report complaints of racial harassment to the EEOC for monitoring.

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