Ford, EEOC ink $2.3 million deal in probe over racist graffiti

Ford Motor Company will pay $2.3 million to settle claims that employees at a Buffalo, New York, stamping plant were subjected to racially charged graffiti, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.

The settlement, announced jointly by the commission and Ford on Tuesday, stems from a complaint filed with the agency in 2021 alleging harassment based on race and national origin. The commission had not filed a lawsuit against the automaker.

The EEOC said its investigation found reasonable cause to hold Ford liable for violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Graffiti targeting Black, Native American and Hispanic workers was found at the plant, including in bathrooms and break rooms, during the course of the probe, the agency said.

Ford's chief manufacturing officer, Bryce Currie, said in a statement that the company does not tolerate harassment or discrimination and thoroughly investigates complaints. Ford has invested more than $3.5 million at the Buffalo plant to upgrade surveillance and apply graffiti-resistant coatings to surfaces, Currie said.

The settlement resulted from the mandatory mediation process known as conciliation that the EEOC must conduct before suing an employer, the agency said.

Ford's "willingness to engage constructively demonstrates a genuine commitment to fostering a workplace free of discrimination,” Arlean Nieto, acting director of the EEOC’s New York district office, said in a statement.

Along with the payout, Ford has agreed to conduct regular trainings at the Buffalo plant, which has about 700 employees, and report any discrimination complaints or graffiti to the EEOC for the next three years, the commission said.