Graniteville Co. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

316 F. Supp. 1177, 2 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 204, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9592, 2 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 10,102
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Carolina
DecidedOctober 1, 1969
DocketCiv. A. No. 68-723
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 316 F. Supp. 1177 (Graniteville Co. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Graniteville Co. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 316 F. Supp. 1177, 2 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 204, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9592, 2 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 10,102 (D.S.C. 1969).

Opinion

HEMPHILL, District Judge.

This is an action arising under the Equal Employment Opportunity Chapter, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.A. Sections 2000e et seq., wherein the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (hereinafter called Commission) made a “Demand for Access to Evidence” as contemplated by the Act1 upon the Graniteville Company. Graniteville, (Petitioner herein) resisting, petitioned this court for relief from the demand pursuant to 42 U.S.C.A. Section 2000e-9(c).2 This court has juris[1180]*1180diction by virtue of the provisions of 42 U.S.C.A. Section 2000e-5(f)3 and venue is properly laid in the District of South Carolina where petitioner transacts business and maintains its employment records.

Faced with procedural issues for which there exist no precedents, the court is forced to review, in part, the merits of the cause. This review neither decides those issues ordinarily for the Commission nor preempts its findings thereon. A limited inquiry is here necessary on the question of access. The facts are critical to the Commission’s demand and petitioner’s request. Not decided here is whether petitioner has violated Title YII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Edward Price, the charging party, upon whose behalf the information in the demand was requested was an employee (from March 30, 1967 to May 23, 1968) of the Sibley Division of Graniteville Company in Augusta, Georgia. He was a doffer in the weave room. The undisputed testimony reveals that on May 23, 1968, Price voluntarily terminated that employment.

On February 9, 1968, Price wrote a letter to the Commission, at Washington, D. C., complaining of racial discrimination by the Graniteville’s Sibley Division. The form of that letter, the spelling, and the language used therein indicates the letter was written by a person of limited education. As a follow-up to the letter, Price was visited by Roland Bessette, an employee-investigator of the Commission. Bessette prepared the formal charge which was signed by Price. The charge alleged essentially the same facts contained in Price’s letter. On the same day Price signed a Commission form entitled Charge of Discrimination.4 This form repeats the allegations of the other two documents. Basically, they are: (1) Negroes are discriminated against in promotion policies; (2) Negroes are harassed, placed in fear of job loss, and subjected to different conditions than white employees; (3) concession stands, locker and toilet facilities are segregated on the basis of race; (4) Negroes are hired for traditionally Negro jobs.

After filing the charge considerable communication took place between the Commission and petitioner’s attorneys. Although not a part of the record, those events are set out in detail by petitioner's brief, and are not refuted by defendant:5

By letter dated April 29, 1968, Petitioner, through its counsel, advised the [1181]*1181investigator that the Company was m the process of securing basic employment data and advised that it wished to determine what the allegations concerned and what information would be relevant in responding to the charge. Certain information requested by the investigator at the time of his interview with Company officials was prepared and forwarded through counsel by letter dated May 17, 1968, to which was attached a list of promotions of non-white and white employees for the period of one year preceding the filing of the charge, such evidence demonstrated that Negro employees in the Sibley Division received more promotions than did white employees, together with information requested concerning the Company’s stated policy of providing equal employment opportunity to all its employees, and the Company’s application form for hiring. In the letter enclosing this information, the investigator was specifically requested to provide information in order that it could refute any allegations that the charging party was allegedly denied any job opportunity or promotion. The identity of any Negro employees subjected to alleged harassment or different conditions or other matters pertaining to the facilities was likewise requested. The Company’s response to the general allegations was to deny such general allegations and offer to demonstrate to the contrary with respect to any individual instance that could be cited to it. The Company received no response to this request that it be furnished with the particulars in order that it could more properly respond to the charge, in the event that the investigation had evidence of specific claims by Mr. Edward Price.

In a telephone conversation between the investigator and Petitioner’s attorney, the investigator stated that he wished the Company to prepare information demonstrating that its work force was integrated. In response to such request, the Company prepared and furnished to him on June 4, 1968, a “payroll breakout” indicating the department, job, shift, race, and sex of all employees in the Sibley Division. In response to Petitioner’s request that it be furnished information with respect to Edward Price’s unknown allegations as to any discrimination which he suffered with respect to his hiring or promotional opportunities, the investigator stated that he was aware of no specific allegations by Price of the denial of a job opportunity or promotion, either within the ninety (90) days preceding the filing of the charge, or any other time. He further stated he had no information as to the identity of other employees allegedly deprived of job opportunities, and that the charge was based on the “belief” of the charging party and his assumptions and observations.

Following receipt of the work force information, the investigator telephoned Petitioner’s attorneys to request more specific information and again advised Petitioner’s attorneys, at that time, that he was then aware of no facts to support Price’s charge. The investigator was requested to again interview Price and determine if he had any specific complaint. Regardless of the lack of specificity, the Company agreed to provide the investigator with a list of those employed in the Weaving Department in which Price worked during his entire period of employment, which indicated their job, shift, employment date, race, and sex. A list of job classifications by number was furnished along with the payroll “breakout” in the Weaving Department. This information was forwarded by Petitioner’s counsel by letter of June 28, 1968, and at the request of the investigator, forwarded a copy of a form required by the EEOC which dem[1182]*1182onstrated that of the 613 employees in the Sibley Division, 148 were Negro males or females.

Petitioner’s counsel by letter of June 28 advised the investigator that it still had not learned of what alleged unfair act of discrimination Edward Price claimed occurred and when such alleged act could have occurred and reminded the investigator that the Company was entitled to an opportunity to present evidence refuting any charge against it, which is recognized by the Rules and Regulations of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 29 CFR Part 1601.

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316 F. Supp. 1177, 2 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 204, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9592, 2 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 10,102, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/graniteville-co-v-equal-employment-opportunity-commission-scd-1969.