Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-04974/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-04974-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 42:2000 Job Discrimination (Race)

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{CLIENT FILES\8636\21\00134616.DOC} - 1 - 

CONSENT DECREE 

LAURA E. INNES, BAR NO. 124259 

JAMIE RUDMAN, BAR NO. 166727 

SIMPSON, GARRITY, INNES & JACUZZI 

Professional Corporation 

601 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 950 

South San Francisco, CA 94080 

Telephone: (650) 615-4860 

Fax: (650) 615-4861 

LInnes@sgilaw.com

JRudman@sgilaw.com 

Attorneys for Defendant 

Midstate Construction Corporation 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

COMMISSION, 

 Plaintiff, 

 v. 

MIDSTATE CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION, 

 Defendant. 

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Case No. C074974JL

CONSENT DECREE

Plaintiff Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“Commission”) filed this action 

under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 to 

correct alleged unlawful employment practices on the basis of discrimination based on national 

origin, and to provide appropriate relief to Charging Party Fermin Casas (“Charging Party”), and 

similarly situated individuals, whom the Commission alleged were adversely affected by such 

practices. The Commission alleged that Defendant Midstate Construction Corporation 

(“Midstate”) subjected Mr. Casas similarly situated individuals of Latino/Hispanic national origin 

to harassment based on their national origin. Defendant has denied the above allegations and 

claims. The Commission and Defendant Midstate now seek to resolve this action without further 

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CONSENT DECREE 

contested litigation through the instant Consent Decree. This resolution does not constitute an 

admission of liability on the part of Midstate, nor constitute a finding on the allegations stated in 

the Commission’s Complaint. 

The Court has reviewed this Consent Decree in light of the pleadings, the record herein, 

and the applicable law, and now approves this Consent Decree. 

THEREFORE IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED: 

GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter and the parties to this action. 

This Court retains jurisdiction over this Consent Decree during its term. 

2. This Consent Decree constitutes a full and final resolution of the Commission’s 

claims against Midstate in this action. 

3. This Consent Decree will become effective upon its entry by the Court. 

4. This Consent Decree is final and binding upon the parties to it, their successors and 

assigns. 

5. The Commission and Midstate will each bear its own costs and attorneys fees in 

this action. 

GENERAL INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

6. Midstate and its current officers, agents, employees, and all persons in active 

concert or participation with them is enjoined from discriminating based national origin or 

permitting the existence of a work environment that is hostile to employees based on their national 

origin, as prohibited under Title VII. 

7. Midstate and its current officers, agents, employees, and all persons in active 

concert or participation with them is enjoined from engaging in, implementing or permitting any 

action, policy or practice which retaliates against Charging Party Casas, or any other employee or 

former employee, for having testified or participated in any manner in the Commission’s 

investigation and the proceedings in this case. 

8. Receipt of the monetary relief provided pursuant to this decree shall not be 

conditioned on any recipient (a) maintaining as confidential the terms of this decree, (b) waiving 

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CONSENT DECREE 

any statutory right to file a charge with any federal or state anti-discrimination agency, except for 

any claims encompassed by the allegations of the Complaint in this action, or which could have 

been asserted in this action, or (c) resigning his/her employment and/or agreeing not to apply for 

re-employment with Midstate. The EEOC will not assert any additional claims against Defendant 

that could have been asserted in this lawsuit. 

SPECIAL INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

Non-Discrimination Policies and Complaint Procedures 

9. Within thirty (30) days of the entry of this Consent Decree, Midstate will issue a 

written anti-harassment policy, in English and Spanish. Said policy will incorporate the following 

policy statement: 

Midstate Construction Corporation is firmly committed to creating and maintaining 

a workplace free of discriminatory harassment; to swiftly and firmly responding to 

any acts of harassment of which the company becomes aware; to implementing a 

disciplinary system that is designed to strongly deter future acts of harassment or 

retaliation; and to actively monitoring its workplace in order to ensure tolerance, 

respect and dignity for all employees. Midstate encourages its employees to come 

forward with complaints of discrimination or harassment, and will not retaliate 

against individuals who report harassment in the workplace. 

10. In order to accomplish the objectives reflected in the policy statement referenced in 

paragraph 9 of this Decree, Midstate will make sure that its written anti-harassment policy (a) 

includes definitions of discriminatory harassment, with specific reference to harassment based on 

national origin; (b) includes examples to supplement the previously mentioned definitions of 

harassment based on national origin; (c) provides for substantial discipline and/or corrective action 

for incidents of discriminatory harassment; (d) includes strong non-retaliation language with 

examples to supplement the definition of retaliation, (e) provides for substantial discipline for 

incidents of retaliation; (f) provides that complaints of harassment and/or retaliation will be 

accepted irrespective of whether they are made verbally or in writing; (g) explains that Midstate 

will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation after a complaint is made or received and, where 

appropriate, will take remedial action upon conclusion of an investigation; and (h) indicate that, 

promptly upon the conclusion of the investigation of a complaint, Midstate will communicate to 

the complaining party the results of the investigation and a description of the remedial actions 

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CONSENT DECREE 

taken or proposed, if any. 

Midstate’s above-referenced written anti-harassment policy will contain a complaint 

procedure that will encourage employees to come forward with complaints about violations of its 

harassment policy. As part of the policy, Midstate shall provide its employees with convenient, 

confidential and reliable mechanisms for reporting incidents of harassment and retaliation. 

Midstate’s anti-harassment policy will notify employees that they may lodge a complaint with their 

Project Superintendent, Monica Soiland, Monica Morgenlaender or Wes Barry. The 

complaint procedure will provide a method for employees to make complaints in Spanish. 

Midstate’s written complaint procedure will be posted, in Spanish and English, in a prominent place 

accessible to all employees. 

11. Within ten (10) days of the completion of its anti-harassment policy, Midstate will

distribute it to all workers, and will provide copies to all new and returning workers as they enter or 

re-enter the workforce. 

Training

12. Midstate will use an outside consultant, paid for by Midstate, to train all 

management employees once each year during the term of this decree, concerning national origin 

discrimination, including the legal prohibitions on harassment, and other forms of unlawful 

harassment and discrimination. Said trainings will be of no less than two hours in length per 

training, and will be introduced by a member of upper management for Midstate. Said trainings 

will be conducted in Spanish for any attendee who requests it. In addition, Midstate will address 

national origin discrimination, including the legal prohibitions on harassment, in one safety meeting 

per year (in the summer season) with non-supervisory employees. 

Supervisory Accountability

13. In addition to the training specified in Paragraph 13, Midstate will use an outside 

consultant to provide two additional hours of training to Nello Ghilarducci. Mr. Ghilarducci does 

not currently supervise any other employees and he will not supervise any other employee until he 

receives the training described in this paragraph. Midstate will provide written notice to the EEOC 

within 30 days of Mr. Ghilarducci being assigned to a supervisory position. 

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CONSENT DECREE 

14. Midstate will revise its performance evaluation forms for its supervisors to include 

an evaluation of the supervisor’s performance in preventing discrimination and harassment on the 

crew(s) that he/she supervises. 

Midstate will draft and include in the personnel file of Nello Ghilarducci a letter stating that 

the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that there was reasonable cause to believe 

that he engaged in national origin-based harassment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 

of 1964. The letter will further state that, although Midstate disagrees with the EEOC’s 

determination, any future of the anti-discrimination/anti-harassment provisions of Title VII will 

result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. A copy of said letter is attached 

hereto as Exhibit A. 

Record Keeping and Reports

15. Within ten (10) days of the completion of its anti-harassment policy, Midstate will

send a copy of said policy to counsel for the Commission. 

16. Within thirty (30) days after completing each training session described in 

Paragraphs 13 and 14, Midstate will mail to counsel for the Commission a report containing the 

date of training, the name and position of the individual from upper management who introduced 

the training, an outline of the training content, a list of all attendees, and copies of all materials 

distributed at the training. 

17. Once every six (6) months, to be measured beginning at the date of entry of this 

Consent Decree and continuing for the duration of this Consent Decree, Midstate will notify the 

counsel for the Commission whether it has received any complaints of sexual harassment or 

national origin harassment from its employees (whether said complaints were filed with an 

administrative agency or simply raised to a management official at the workplace), what steps were 

taken in response to that information, and how the situation was resolved. 

MONETARY RELIEF

18. Midstate will pay the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) as damages and 

in complete satisfaction of the Commission’s claims against Midstate as set forth in its Complaint. 

This sum will be allocated by the Commission, at its sole discretion, among the Charging Party and 

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CONSENT DECREE 

similarly situated employees. This sum will be paid by check made out directly to each individual 

designated by the Commission, and will be mailed to them at addresses to be provided to Midstate 

by the Commission, with a copy of the check and any transmittal letter to counsel for the 

Commission. Said checks will be issued and sent by Midstate’s counsel or other agent within ten 

(10) days of transmission of the names of the individuals to whom the sum is being allocated and 

the amount of allocation to each individual. Midstate will also cause IRS Form 1099s to be issued 

to each such individual. Any monies not distributed to the Charging Party and similarly situated 

employees will be distributed evenly to La Luz Center in Sonoma, California and the Mexican 

American Legal Defense and Education Fund in Los Angeles, California upon the written request 

of the Commission. 

EXPIRATION OF CONSENT DECREE

19. This Consent Decree constitutes a full and final resolution of all the Commission’s 

claims against Midstate in this action. This Consent Decree will be in effect for one (1) year, and 

will expire at midnight of the date two (2) years after its entry by the Court, provided that Midstate 

has substantially complied with the terms of this Consent Decree. Midstate will be deemed to have 

complied substantially if the Court has not made any findings or orders during the term of the 

Decree that Midstate has failed to comply with any of the terms of this Decree. 

E-filing concurrence: I, Jamie Rudman, attorney for Defendant Midstate Construction 

Corporation, attest that I have obtained the concurrence of Evangelina Hernandez, attorney for 

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, for the lodging of this Consent Decree. 

On Behalf of Plaintiff Commission:

Dated: June 8, 2010 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

COMMISSION 

 

 /s/ 

EVANGELINA HERNANDEZ

On Behalf of Defendant Midstate:

Dated: June 8, 2010 

SIMPSON, GARRITY, INNES & JACUZZI 

 /s/ 

JAMIE RUDMAN

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CONSENT DECREE 

ORDER

It is so ordered. 

Dated:_____________________ ____________________________________

U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge

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