Filed Date: 1994
Closed Date: 1997
Clearinghouse coding in progress
On March 23, 1994, several salaried African-American employees of defendant filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 and Section 296 of the New York Human Rights Law against defendant Texaco in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, White Plains Division. On June 30, 1994, a first Amended Complaint was filed, adding more plaintiffs, and asserting that, as to all plaintiffs, defendant had violated Title VII. The plaintiffs, represented by private counsel, claimed that beginning no later than March 23, 1991, defendant had, by certain employment policies and practices, engaged in conduct that had a disparate impact upon and abridged the rights of salaried African-American employees in promotion, compensation, and the terms and conditions of their employment, including training and job assignments.
Plaintiffs moved for class certification on May 15, 1995. On September 27, 1996, Judge Charles Brieant scheduled a hearing for December 6, 1996 on the class certification motions.
The parties reached a settlement on November 15, 1996. The settlement provided, among other things, that defendant should create a settlement fund by depositing $115 million in cash.
On March 21, 1997, Judge Brieant approved the settlement. By order entered April 1, 1997, a Special Master was appointed to hear and report upon the pending applications of plaintiffs' counsel for attorneys' fees, and the application of plaintiffs for incentive rewards.
On September 11, 1997, the district court (Judge Brieant) adopted the report of Charles Moerdler, Special Master, which held, among other things, that attorney fees award of about $19 million was appropriate, and employees' counsel would be awarded $1 million in attorney fees.
In response to this, defendants' stockholders appealed. On September 14, 1999, the 2nd Circuit (Judge Miner) reversed the judgment of the district court and remand for the entry of judgment denying counsel fees.
On January 8, 2003, the district court order that the court's supervision on the Settlement Agreement be terminated because it had been fulfilled.
Summary Authors
Kunyi Zhang (8/10/2010)
Brieant, Charles L. Jr. (New York)
Miner, Roger Jeffrey (New York)
State / Territory: New York
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Private Employment Class Actions
Key Dates
Filing Date: 1994
Closing Date: 1997
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Plaintiffs are salaried African-American employees of defendant.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Pending
Defendants
Texaco Incorporated, Private Entity/Person
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Title VII (including PDA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Content of Injunction:
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Amount Defendant Pays: $115,000,000
Issues
General/Misc.:
Discrimination Area:
Conditions of Employment (including assignment, transfer, hours, working conditions, etc.)
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):
EEOC-centric: