Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-5_09-cv-00233/USCOURTS-ared-5_09-cv-00233-0/pdf.json

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

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FILED 

U S DISTRiCT COURT
 

EASTERN DISTRICT ARKANSAS
 

JUL 0 1 2010 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT J~MCCOR~CLERK

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS By: (:3~CArL-O"O PINE BLUFF DIVISION 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ) 

COMMISSION, ) 

) 

PLAINTIFF, ) 

) CIVIL ACTION NO. 

) 5:09-cv-Q233 JMM 

) 

THE SERVICEMASTER COMPANY )
 

and THE TERMINIX INTERNATIONAL LP, )
 

d/b/a TERMINIX, )
 

)
 

DEFENDANT.. )
 

CONSENT DECREE
 

Plaintiff, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (hereinafter the 

uCommission'). has instituted this action on behalf of Heather White alleging that 

Defendants, The ServiceMaster Company and The Terminix International Company, 

L.P., d/b/a Terminix, (UDefendant"), forced Ms. White to take medical leave and 

thereafter discharged her because of her sex, female, pregnancy and childbirth In 

violatIon of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII") and the Pregnancy 

Discrimination Act of 1978, 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e(k). Defendants deny that they 

engaged in any unlawful employment practices as· alleged by the Commission or that 

they otherwise violated Title VII or the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. 

In the event this proposed Consent Decree is not approved or does not become 

final, then It shall not be admissible In evidence in any subsequent proceeding In this 

Case 5:09-cv-00233-JMM Document 21 Filed 07/01/10 Page 1 of 10
actIon. Further, this Consent Decree shall not be admissible In any other action now 

pending or which may be filed in the future, except as to enforcement proceedings. 

this Consent Decree constitutes the complete and exclusive agreement between 

the parties with respect to the matters referred to herein. No waiver, mod lfication or 

amendment of any provision of this Consent Decree shall be effective unless made In 

writing and signed by both parties. No representations or inducements to compromise 

this action have been made. other than those recited or referenced in this Consent 

Decree. 

The Court has reviewed the terms of the proposed Consent Decree In light of the 

applicable laws and regulations, the statements and representations of counsel for all 

parties. and hereby approves the Consent Decree. 

I. JURISDICTION 

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Pine Bluff 

Division, has jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter of this litigation. 

II. SCOPE AND DURATION OF DECREE 

1. By entering into this Consent Decree, the parties do not Intend to resolve 

any charge of discrimInation currently pending before the Commission other than 

Charge No. 493-2008-00501 flied by Heather White that created the procedural 

foundation for the complaint in this case. 

2. This Decree shall not be considered In any manner to be dispositive of 

any other charges now pending before any office of the Commission, or other lawsuits, 

if any. pending against Defendants other than this lawsuit and Charge No. 493~2008­

00501. 

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3. The tenns of this Decree shall be in effect for two years from the date of 

entry, which shall be considered as the Effective Date of this Decree, and apply only to 

Terminix's -Little Rock Region" which includes the McGehee, Arkansas Terminlx branch 

and eight other Terminlx branches in the same region. 

III. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF 

4. Defendants, their officers, agents, management, (Including supervisory 

employees), successors and assigns, in the Little Rock Region are enjoined from 

unlawfully placing pregnant employees on leaves of absence. 

5. Defendants, their officers, agents, management. (Including supervisory 

employees), successors and assigns, in the Little Rock Region are enjoined from 

terminating the employment of an employee on matemity leave in violation of Title VII of 

the Civil RIghts Act of 1964, as amended. 

6. Defendants, Its officers, agents, employees, and all persons acting In 

concert with it In the Little Rock Region, are enjoined from retaliating against pregnant 

employees for participating in any proceeding under TItle VII or for opposing 

discriminatory employment practices made unlawful under Title VII of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1964, as amended. 

IV. GENERAL RELIEF AND TRAINING 

7. Within 30 days of entry of this Decree, Defendant shall create a written 

policy concerning pregnancy discrimination. After creation of such polley, Termlnlx will 

disseminate the policy to all employees in its Little Rock RegIon and post It at the 

Terminix branches located within the Little Rock Region. The policy will include the 

following statement: 

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Tennlnlx does not unlawfully discriminate against pregnant pest technicIans who 

cannot be exposed to, or handle chemicals. Pregnant pest technicians may be 

temporarily reassigned If: 

(1)	 the r:>regnant pest technician Is otherwise qualified for her pest technician 

position; 

(2)	 the pregnant pest technician Is also qualified for the temporary 

reassignment position; 

(3)	 the pregnant pest technician has presented a note from a physician 

Instructing the pregnant pest technician not to work around chemlcals'for 

the duration of her pregnancy; 

(4)	 there is an available position to which a pregnant pest technician may be 

reassigned with the current branch In which the pregnant pest technician 

is employed or any other Little Rock Region branch within reasonable 

driving distance of the branch where the technician is employed; 

And 

(5)	 this temporary reassignment will not Impose an undue burden on the 

branch in which the pregnant pest technician is employed. 

If a pregnant pest technician meets the qualifications set forth in the policy, she 

may be temporarily reassigned for the duration of her pregnancy or until she takes a 

voluntary medical leave of absence. 

8. Defendant shall require each employee to read and acknowledge receipt 

of the policy referred to In Paragraph 7 once a copy of the policy has been provided to 

the employee. Thereafter, whenever a new employee Is hired In the Little Rock Region, 

he or she will be required to read and acknowledge receipt of a copy of the polley and 

will be given a copy of the policy for their own records. 

9. Defendants' Human Resources Manager, a qualified outside consultant or 

counsel, having specialized knowledge of employment discrimInation law, will conduct 

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Case 5:09-cv-00233-JMM Document 21 Filed 07/01/10 Page 4 of 10
sex discrimination training for all supervisory and management personnel employed at 

Termlnlx branches in Its Little Rock Region. This training shall be mandatory for all 

management-level employees, Including but not limited to branch managers, and shall 

be conducted within 90 days of the Effective Date. 

10. The training topics presented by the trainer shall include, at a minimum, (I) 

Title VII's prohibition of sex discrimination that includes pregnancy discrimination and 

retaliation with respect to any term, condition or privilege of employment; (Ii) 

Defendants' policies and procedures for the prevention of sex discliminatlon generally 

and as they relate to pregnancy specifically; and (iii) Defendants' procedures for 

reporting, investigating and remedying sex discrimination or retaliation complaints In the 

workplace. 

11. Within 120 days of the Effective Date of this Consent Decree, Defendants 

shall provide the Commission with copies of the training materials and related 

documentation evidencing the accomplishment of training for all supervisory and 

management personnel at all Terminix branches located in the Little Rock Region. The 

aforementioned documentation shall Include the names and positions of individuals 

attending the training, the time each Indlvi~ual spent at the training, and the date the 

training was conducted. 

12. All reporting to the Commission required by this section shall be made to 

Celia Liner, Senior Trial Attorney; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; 1407 

Union Avenue, Suite 901, Memphis, Tennessee 38104. 

13. Defendants' Human Resources Manager shall maintain a record of each 

person trained pursuant to paragraph 9. 

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Case 5:09-cv-00233-JMM Document 21 Filed 07/01/10 Page 5 of 10
V. INDIVIDUAL REUEF
 

14. Defendants shall pay Heather White the total sum of $80,000.00 within 

seven days of the Effective Date of this Decree as follows: 

a. $50,000.00 shall be designated as back pay plus interest and paid 

in one check as wages; and 

b. $30,000.00 shall be designated In a second check as nonpecuniary damages arising from allegations made in her claim of discrimination and this 

lawsuit. 

c. Defendant shall forward the checks to Heather White, 4690 

Wallstreet Lane, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71603. 

d. Defendants shall issue a W-2 form to Ms. White for the amount in 

subparagraph a, above. 

15. Defendants shall be responsible for all State and F.ederal WithholdIng, as 

applicable, with respect to the payment made under paragraph a, above. Ms. White will 

be responsible for Individual tax consequences related to the payment In subparagraph 

b, for which Defendants will issue a Form 1099 as non-pecuniary damages. 

16. Photocopies of the front and back of both checks to Ms. White shall be 

mailed to the attention of Celia S. Liner, Senior Trial Attorney; Equal Employment 

Opportunity Commission; 1407 Union Avenue, Suite 901, Memphis. Tennessee 38104. 

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Case 5:09-cv-00233-JMM Document 21 Filed 07/01/10 Page 6 of 10
VI. POSTING AND POUCIES 

17. Defendants shall post and cause to remain displayed the poster required 

by SectIon 711 of Title VII. 42 U.S.C. § 2000a-10(a). 

18. Defendants shall also post and keep posted In a locatIon where notices to 

employees are customarily posted a copy of its policy and procedures for reporting or 

preventing discrimination In the workplace. 

VII. SEMI-ANNUAL REPORllNG 

19. Defendants shall, for periods indicated below, submit to the Commission 

semi-annual reports identifying any of the following If occurring In any Tenninix branch 

located In its Little Rock Region: a) any technIcian who has informed Defendants of her 

pregnancy; b) any request from a pregnant technician's doctor that she no longer 

handle or be exposed to chemicals; c) Defendants' response to the request in (b); d) the 

date of requested medical leave by the pregnant technician; e) the date of return from 

medical leave or termInation of the employee; and f) the reason for termination If 

occurring within 6 months of the birth of the employee's child. 

20. The first report shall be submitted six (6) months after the Effective Date. 

The second report shall be submitted within twelve (12) months after the Effective Date. 

The third report shall be submitted wIthin eighteen (18) months after the Effective Date. 

The fourth report shall be submitted within twenty two (22) months after the Effective 

Date. These reports shall be sent to Celia S. Liner, Senior Trial Attorney at the 

Memphis District Office address with a statement identifying such report as being 

submitted pursuant to this Decree. 

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Case 5:09-cv-00233-JMM Document 21 Filed 07/01/10 Page 7 of 10
VIII. NEUTRAL REFERENCE 

21. Defendants shall provide neutral job references upon request to any future 

employer of Heather White. Any such neutral reference shall be Identical to the form 

demonstrated in Appendix A. No mention of Ms. White's charge of discrimination or this 

lawsuit shall be made as part of the neutral reference. 

IX. NOTIFICATION OF SUCCESSORS 

22. Defendants shall provide prior written notice to any potential purchaser of 

defendant's business, or a purchaser of all or a portion of defendant's assets, and to 

any other potential successor, of the Commission's lawsuit, the allegations raised in the 

Commission's complaint, and the existence and contents of the Decree. 

X. ENFORCEMENT 

23. If the Defendants fail to comply with the terms of this Decree, in whole or 

in part, the Commission has a right to enforce the obligations under the Decree. The 

Commission shall provide ten days notice to Defendants of any deficiency in complying 

with the terms of the decree. If the parties are unable to reach agreement regardIng 

resolution of any such deficiency in Defendants' compliance with the terms of the 

Decree, the Commission will then have the option of petitioning the Court for relief. 

XI. COSTS 

24. Each party shall bear that party's own costs, attorneys' fees, and 

expenses. 

~~VV1=~ . SM:MOODY -. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

DATE: _\_(,_\~/_\_O__ 

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FOR DEFENDANTS: 

:MAliHEW~NS

Lawrence & Russell. PLC
 

5178 Wheelis Drive
 

Memphis. Tennessee 38117
 

Attorney for Defendants
 

.~«L On behalf of The ServiceMaster 

Company and The Terminix International 

Company. L.P. 

FOR THE COMMISSION: 

P. DAVID LOPEZ 

General Counsel 

GWENDOLYN YOUNG REAMS 

Ass elate General Counsel 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT 

OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 

1407 Union Avenue, Suite 901 

Memphis, Tennessee 38104 9 Cllwer@~eQc.goy , A...J.:J 

~i1~ ~if·WJ'7
 WILLIAM A. CASH, JR:AR 8018 

SupervIsory Trial Attorney 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT 

OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 

820 louisiana Street, Suite 200 

little Rock, AR 72201 

wlillam.cash@eeoc.gov 

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Case 5:09-cv-00233-JMM Document 21 Filed 07/01/10 Page 9 of 10
APPENDIX A 

NEUTRAL REFERENCE 

Oear -' 

This letter is in reference to your request for information regarding the 

employment of Heather White. 

Ms. White served as a Pest COntrol Service Representative for the 

ServlceMaster Company and the Term/nix International Company, L.P. dfbfa Terminix 

in McGehee, Arkansas, from June 1, 2005 to February 8,2008. Ms. White would be 

eligible for rehire. Company policy does not permit us to give out any more information 

concerning Ms. White's employment. 

I am sure Ms. White can provide you wIth the details concerning her duties at the 

ServiceMaster Company and the Terminix International Company. L.P. I hope this 

Information is helpful and that It satisfactorily answers your inqUiry. 

Very truly yours, 

For The ServiceMaster Company and 

The Terminix International Company, ~.P.

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