Florida Employer Will Pay $1.4 Million to Resolve Race Discrimination Case

On June 25th, 2025, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that an employer in Florida will pay approximately $1.4 million to resolve a racial discrimination lawsuit. Waste Pro of Florida has settled with the EEOC, which was pursuing a claim on behalf of 26 Black and Haitian workers. The EEOC brought the claim on the grounds that they were victims of severe and pervasive racial harassment, including outright unfair assignments. Below, you will find a more detailed overview of the settlement and the law.

EEOC Settlement: Seven Figure Racial Discrimination Case in Florida

Waste Pro of Florida is a waste management company that provides residential and commercial services across many regions of the state. As confirmed by the EEOC, the employer has agreed to pay $1.4 million and implement sweeping reforms to settle a lawsuit brought by the EEOC over race and national origin discrimination. The suit alleged that 26 Black and Haitian American workers in Jacksonville endured severe, ongoing harassment, including racial slurs and unequal assignments. Notably, the harassment on the basis of race occurred over the course of several years.

As an example of a particularly disturbing incident, management reportedly refused to remove a stuffed monkey from an employee’s workspace during anti-discrimination training. The settlement includes a three-year consent decree mandating specialized training, external oversight, new complaint procedures, and a race-neutral seniority system for truck and route assignments. The affected workers will split the financial compensation.

Racial Harassment in the Workplace is a Form of Race-Based Discrimination

Racial harassment is a form of race-based discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Florida law. It occurs when employees are subjected to unwelcome conduct based on their race or national origin that is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment. Racial harassment can take many forms. Some of the most common examples of racial harassment in the workplace include:

• Racial slurs;
• Derogatory jokes;
• Offensive symbols;
• Outright threats;
• Discriminatory comments; and
• Other unequal treatment.

When this conduct is tolerated (especially by supervisors or management) it becomes a serious violation of the law. For example ,In the Waste Pro case, the EEOC alleged that management not only allowed racial harassment to occur but also actively participated in it, making conditions intolerable for Black and Haitian American employees. That goes beyond isolated comments or workplace insensitivity; it reflects systemic misconduct that materially affected employees’ ability to work in a safe and respectful environment. Employers are legally obligated to take reasonable steps to prevent and correct racial harassment. They will face liability for their failure to do so.

Get Help From a Florida Race Discrimination Lawyer

Racial discrimination in the workplace is not acceptable. If you have any questions about a workplace racial discrimination case, please do not hesitate to contact a Florida employment lawyer to set up a fully confidential, no obligation initial consultation.