The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced on Friday that Ephraim McDowell Health and Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, headquartered in Danville, has been ordered to pay $335,000 and provide other relief to settle a sex discrimination and retaliation lawsuit.
According to a release, Ephraim McDowell "rejected a female employee’s bid for promotion to an administrator position when the system’s CEO told her men work better with men and it was best to have a male in the position" in October 2021.
A male was then appointed to the position by the CEO, and the female to a lower-paying position in which she reported to the "newly promoted male."
The suit alleged that when the female employee filed a discrimination charge, she was retaliated against and fired in December 2022.
According to the agency, such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex and retaliation against employees who file discrimination charges with the EEOC.
“We appreciate Ephraim McDowell for working with us to resolve this litigation and agreeing to implement changes to prevent future hiring violations,” said EEOC Indianapolis Regional Attorney Kenneth Bird in the release. “These steps demonstrate a commitment to achieving a workplace free from discrimination and retaliation.”
