The Biden administration’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Sheetz convenience stores, alleging that they have violated federal law by denying employment to a class of job applicants based on their race. The lawsuit claims that Sheetz screens job applicants for criminal records, a practice that the EEOC says disproportionately affects Black applicants.
Multiple prominent Black conservative figures have criticized the lawsuit, calling it baseless and discriminatory. They argue that businesses have the right to screen potential employees for criminal history, especially in light of rising crime rates.
Republican Utah told the Daily Caller, “The Democrats think everything is racist, even a business choosing not to hire individuals with a criminal record.” Republican candidate for North Carolina governor said, “With crime rising in cities across the state, businesses need to be able to have the right to be able to protect themselves, their employees and their customers. That includes screening potential applicants for a criminal history.”
Legal scholars also contend that the EEOC claim is baseless, citing a previous case in which the EEOC lost a similar lawsuit against the Kaplan Higher Education Corporation. Heritage Foundation’s Hans A. von Spakovsky told the Daily Caller, “They’re wrong. When they tried to do this a decade ago they lost.” “The reason this is so ridiculous is this … particularly Sheetz. Think about what would happen if they hired an ex-con to work the cash register … Their liability would go through the roof,” von Spakovsky said.
Sheetz has denied the EEOC’s accusations, claiming they disavow discrimination in a statement to the Daily Caller. Sheetz PR manager Nick Ruffner said, “Sheetz does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Diversity and inclusion are essential parts of who we are.”
