ChowCall Pays $8,055 to Resolve EEOC Suit After Breach of Conciliation Agreement

NORFOLK, Va. – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has successfully recovered money owed to a victim of discrimination from Value Unlimited, Inc., doing business as ChowCall, a food delivery service in Norfolk, Virginia, and secured the company’s compliance with terms of the conciliation agreement with the EEOC.

According to a lawsuit filed by the EEOC, Value Unlimited failed to fully comply with its obligations under a September 2022 conciliation agreement resolving allegations of workplace discrimination. The EEOC and Value Unlimited entered into an agreement requiring the company to pay $11,000 to a former employee in three installments, train employees, post a notice about the agreement, and report to the EEOC. The company failed to make the last installment payment of $7,000 to the employee and failed to post the agreement and report compliance to the EEOC.

“The EEOC’s conciliation process is a valuable tool that allows employers to resolve allegations of discrimination prior to litigation,” said Melinda C. Dugas, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District. “When necessary, the EEOC will file suit to enforce conciliation agreements to ensure relief for victims of discrimination and compliance with the law. The EEOC appreciates that Value Unlimited has satisfied its obligations under the agreement.”

The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia seeking to enforce the terms of the agreement (EEOC v. Value Unlimited, Inc d/b/a ChowCall, Civil Action No. 2:24-cv-00724). After the lawsuit was filed, Value Unlimited fulfilled its remaining obligations under the agreement by paying the former employee the last installment payment including accrued interest from the noncompliance period; posting the previously agreed upon notice advising employees of their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act; and by reporting compliance to the EEOC. Because Value Unlimited satisfied the remaining obligations under the agreement, the EEOC dismissed the lawsuit.

For more information on the EEOC’s conciliation process, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/what-you-should-know-eeoc-conciliation-and-litigation.

The EEOC’s Charlotte District is charged with enforcing federal employment anti-discrimination laws in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.