Case: EEOC v. AMERICAN BOTTLING CO

1:03-cv-06365 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Filed Date: Sept. 10, 2003

Closed Date: 2004

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Case Summary

The EEOC's Chicago district office sued American Bottling Company, a soft-drink producer and distributor, on July 20, 2003 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The EEOC's complaint alleged that ABC violated Title VII when it discriminated based on race (African American) by creating a racially hostile work environment. The parties entered into a two-year consent decree on December 1, 2004, which required the defendant to pay $80,000 in damages; conduct Title VII training for all employees; create an anti-discrimination policy; post notice of Title VII rights; and send annual reports to the EEOC regarding compliance.

Summary Authors

Kevin Wilemon (6/13/2007)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/11995661/parties/eeoc-v-amer-bottling-co/

Judge(s)

Hart, William Thomas (Illinois)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Hendrickson, John C. (Illinois)

Smason, Diane Ilene (Illinois)

Attorney for Defendant

Brown, Jerry Duane (Illinois)

McDuffie, Elizabeth A (Illinois)

Judge(s)

Hart, William Thomas (Illinois)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Hendrickson, John C. (Illinois)

Smason, Diane Ilene (Illinois)

Szromba, Jeanne B. (Illinois)

Attorney for Defendant

Brown, Jerry Duane (Illinois)

McDuffie, Elizabeth A (Illinois)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Documents in this case

1:03-cv-06365	Docket EEOC v. American Bottling Company, The	Dec. 1, 2004	Dec. 1, 2004 Docket
1 1:03-cv-06365	Complaint EEOC v. The American Bottling Company	Sept. 10, 2003	Sept. 10, 2003 Complaint
1:03-cv-06365	Consent Decree EEOC v. The American Bottling Company	Dec. 2, 2004	Dec. 2, 2004 Settlement Agreement

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Resources

Resources related to this case
Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL
Under the Radar: Visibility and the Effects of Discrimination Lawsuits in Small and Large Firms Carly Knight, Frank Dobbin, Alexandra Kalev	Research on how discrimination lawsuits affect corporate diversity has yielded mixed results. Qualitative studies highlight the limited efficacy of lawsuits in the typical workplace, finding that lit…	March 2022	April 1, 2022 https://cris.tau.ac.il/...

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/11995661/eeoc-v-amer-bottling-co/

Last updated Nov. 3, 2026, 9:52 p.m.

Docket for: EEOC v. Amer Bottling Co

ECF Number	Date	Description	Link
1	Sept. 10, 2003	COMPLAINT; jury demand - Civil cover sheet - Appearance(s) of Jeanne B. Szromba, Noelle Christine Brennan, John C. Hendrickson as attorney(s) for plaintiff ( No summons(es) issued.) ( Documents: 1-1 through 1-3) (jmp) (Entered: 09/10/2003)	RECAP
2	Oct. 17, 2003	WAIVER of service of summons as to defendant sent on 09/10/03. (jmp) (Entered: 10/20/2003)	RECAP
3	Nov. 6, 2003	ATTORNEY APPEARANCE for defendant by Elizabeth A McDuffie, and Jerry Duane Brown. (jmp) (Entered: 11/06/2003)	RECAP
4	Nov. 6, 2003	AGREED MOTION by defendant for extension to serve its responsive pleading ; Notice of agreed motion; Notice of filing and Certificate of Service. (jmp) (Entered: 11/13/2003)	RECAP
5	Nov. 12, 2003	MINUTE ORDER of 11/12/03 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing set for 11:00 a.m. on 12/10/03. Defendant's agreed motion for extension to serve its responsive pleading to 12/02/03 is granted [4-1]. Mailed notice (jmp) (Entered: 11/13/2003)	RECAP
6	Dec. 2, 2003	ANSWER and affirmative defenses by defendant to plaintiff's complaint [1-1]; Notice. (jmp) (Entered: 12/05/2003)	RECAP
7	Dec. 2, 2003	CORPORATE DISCLOSURE by defendant (jmp) (Entered: 12/05/2003)	RECAP
8	Dec. 3, 2003	MOTION by plaintiff to withdraw attorney appearance of Noelle C. Brennan ; Notice. (jmp) Modified on 12/10/2003 (Entered: 12/10/2003)	RECAP
9	Dec. 10, 2003	MINUTE ORDER of 12/10/03 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing held and continued to 11:00 a.m. on 03/17/04. Plaintiff's withdrawal of the appearance of Noelle C. Brennan as one of the attorneys for plaintiff is granted [8-1]. Discovery is to be completed by 03/31/04. Mailed notice (jmp) (Entered: 12/11/2003)	RECAP
10	March 9, 2004	JOINT MOTION by plaintiff to extend discovery closure date ; Notice of filing and Certificate of Service. (jmp) (Entered: 03/18/2004)	RECAP
11	March 17, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 3/17/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing held and continued to 11:00 a.m. on 05/05/04. Joint motion to extend discovery closure date is granted [10-1]. Discovery extended to 04/30/04. Mailed notice (jmp) (Entered: 03/18/2004)	RECAP
12	April 14, 2004	JOINT MOTION by plaintiff to extend discovery closure date ; Notice. (jmp) (Entered: 04/22/2004)	RECAP
13	April 21, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 4/21/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing reset to 11:00 a.m. on 06/02/04. Joint motion to extend discovery closure date since parties have been trying to resolve this case is granted [12-1]. Discovery is extended to 06/01/04. Mailed notice (jmp) (Entered: 04/22/2004)	RECAP
14	May 13, 2004	JOINT MOTION by plaintiff and defendant to extend discovery closure date ; Notice. (jmp) (Entered: 05/20/2004)	RECAP
15	May 19, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 5/19/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing reset to 11:00 a.m. on 06/16/04 . i Joint motion to extend discovery closure date is granted [14-1]. Discovery extended to 07/06/04. Mailed notice (jmp) (Entered: 05/20/2004)	RECAP
	June 4, 2004	SCHEDULE set on 6/4/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing reset to 11:00 6/24/04 . Mailed notice (clw) (Entered: 06/04/2004)	PACER
	June 4, 2004	SCHEDULE set on 6/4/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing reset to 11:00 6/23/04 . Mailed notice (clw) (Entered: 06/04/2004)	PACER
	June 4, 2004	SCHEDULE set on 6/4/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing reset to 11:00 6/24/04 . Mailed notice (clw)
	June 4, 2004	SCHEDULE set on 6/4/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing reset to 11:00 6/23/04 . Mailed notice (clw)
16	June 21, 2004	MOTION by plaintiff EEOC to compel discovery responses ; Notice. (jmp) (Entered: 06/24/2004)	RECAP
17	June 23, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 6/23/04 by Hon. William T. Hart: Status hearing held. Plaintiff's motion to compel discovery responses [16-1] is continued to 11:00 a.m. on 06/30/04. No notice (jmp) Modified on 06/24/2004 (Entered: 06/24/2004)	RECAP
18	June 30, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 6/30/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing set for 11:00 a.m. on 09/08/04. Plaintiff's motion to compel discovery responses is granted [16-1], subject to a protective order. Discovery is extended to 08/31/04. Mailed notice (jmp) (Entered: 07/01/2004)	RECAP
19	July 20, 2004	ATTORNEY APPEARANCE for plaintiff by Diane Ilene Smason. (air) (Entered: 07/21/2004)	RECAP
20	July 20, 2004	MOTION by plaintiff EEOC to compel discovery responses (Attachments); Notice. (jmp) (Entered: 07/30/2004)	RECAP
21	July 28, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 7/28/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Plaintiff's motion to compel discovery responses is granted [20-1], defendant to comply by 08/25/04. Discovery is extended to 10/13/04. Mailed notice by judge's staff (jmp) (Entered: 07/30/2004)	RECAP
22	Aug. 6, 2004	MOTION by defendant Amer Bottling Co for clarification of Judge's order regarding plaintiff's motion to compel discovery ; Notice. (jmp) Modified on 08/19/2004 (Entered: 08/19/2004)	RECAP
23	Aug. 13, 2004	JOINT MOTION by plaintiff and defendant to stay proceedings pending settlement resolution ; Notice. (jmp) Modified on 08/19/2004 (Entered: 08/19/2004)	RECAP
24	Aug. 18, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 8/18/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing reset for 11:00 a.m. on 09/15/2004. Joint motion to stay proceedings pending settlement resolution is granted [22-1]. Defendant's motion for clarification of Judge's order regarding plaintiff's motion to compel discovery [22-1] is continued to 11:00 a.m. on 09/15/04. Mailed notice (jmp) (Entered: 08/19/2004)	RECAP
25	Sept. 15, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 9/15/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing re-set for 11:00 a.m. on 09/22/04. Defendant's motion for clarification of Judge's order regarding plaintiff's motion to compel discovery [22-1] is continued to 11:00 a.m. on 09/22/04. Mailed notice (jmp) (Entered: 09/17/2004)	RECAP
26	Sept. 22, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 9/22/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : Status hearing held. Defendant's motion for clarification of Judge's order regarding plaintiff's motion to compel discovery [22-1] is moot. No notice (jmp) (Entered: 09/23/2004)	RECAP
27	Nov. 16, 2004	NOTICE by defendant Amer Bottling Co of filing and Certificate of Service regarding Consent Decree. (jmp) (Entered: 12/02/2004)	RECAP
28	Nov. 24, 2004	NOTICE by defendant Amer Bottling Co of filing and Certificate of Service regarding Consent Decree Addendum. (jmp) (Entered: 12/02/2004)	RECAP
29	Dec. 1, 2004	MINUTE ORDER of 12/1/04 by Hon. William T. Hart : The parties have agreed that this action be re solved by entry of a consent decree; each party to the consent decree shall bear its own expenses, costs and attorneys' fees. Court retains jurisdiction to enforce the consent decree for a period of two years. (Entered Consent Decree. Entered Consent Decree Addendum). terminating case Mailed notice by judge's staff (jmp) (Entered: 12/02/2004)	RECAP