The Teeth Doctors to Pay $61,000 to Resolve EEOC Religious Discrimination Charge

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Teeth Doctors, a North Carolina-based dental company, agreed to provide $61,000 to a former employee to settle a religious discrimination charge filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC’s investigation found that The Teeth Doctors, operated by dentist Jeremiah C. Davis in Fayetteville, violated federal law when the company failed to provide the employee with a religious accommodation and instead fired her after she requested an accommodation to wear a scrub skirt instead of scrub pants due to her sincerely held religious beliefs.

The clinic’s alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits religious discrimination because of an individual’s religion and requires employers to reasonably accommodate the employee’s religious observance or practice unless doing so would cause undue hardship.

Following an investigation of the charge, the parties engaged in the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation process, resulting in a settlement requiring The Teeth Doctors to provide back pay and compensatory damages; and establish or update written policies and procedures prohibiting discrimination and harassment on the basis of religion; and prohibiting retaliation for complaining about, reporting, or otherwise opposing such discrimination. The clinic also agreed to require training for its supervisors on equal employment opportunity rights and responsibilities, with a focus on religious accommodations, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. In addition, the employer agreed to post a notice regarding the resolution of this matter and the laws enforced by the EEOC.

“We commend The Teeth Doctors for their commitment to ensuring compliance with Title VII’s requirements,” said Johnnie Barrett, director of the EEOC’s Raleigh Area Office. “This resolution should serve as a reminder to employers that they need to make a reasonable effort to accommodate an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, including a religious observance or practice.”

For more information on religious discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Charlotte District Office has jurisdiction over 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 is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.