LDF calls on the EEOC to investigate potentially racist hiring practices at Autonation and Genuine Parts Company

Read a PDF of our statement Here.

Today, the Legal Defense Fund sent a letter to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requesting a formal investigation into the hiring practices of two major U.S. companies, AutoNation and Genuine Parts. The call for the EEOC to exercise its authority comes after a nationwide employment discrimination experiment uncovered evidence of potential racial discrimination in the two companies’ hiring practices.

“The EEOC has a responsibility to enforce our civil rights laws by investigating employers who may engage in discriminatory employment practices,” he said Amalea Smirniotopoulos, Senior Policy Counsel and Co-Manager of the LDF’s Equal Protection Initiative. “The foundation of economic and racial justice is the ability of all people to seize opportunities, work with dignity, support themselves and their families, and participate fully in the economy. Yet entrenched, unfair barriers to equal opportunity continue to reinforce occupational segregation by race and leave talent behind. Vigorous enforcement of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is even more important now as employers roll back policies that have helped overcome racial discrimination, promote diverse and inclusive workplaces, and ensure equal employment opportunity.”

As The New York Times reported, a team of economists conducted an audit study to measure racial workplace discrimination across different sectors of the labor market in the United States. From 2019 to 2021, researchers sent 83,000 resumes to more than 10,000 entry-level jobs at 108 of the country’s largest companies. The study found that of these companies, AutoNation, a used car dealer, contacted presumptive white applicants 43 percent more often than black applicants with similar qualifications, and Genuine Parts Company, which sells auto parts, called presumptive white applicants 33 percent more often.

“Black people have struggled to gain access to higher, more rigorous levels of education, yet because of persistent and systemic discrimination, they are stubbornly relegated to lower-paying jobs and less lucrative industries compared to whites with similar levels of education.” “Companies must have policies that ensure they do not discriminate on the basis of race and help promote a diverse workforce,” he said David Wheaton, Equal Justice Police Fellow at LDF.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the country’s first civil rights organization. LDF equal rights initiative seeks To defend and advance the correct interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and the Anti-Discrimination Act so that we can all continue to advance equal opportunities for all. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multidisciplinary and collaborative center within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and conducts innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. Please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF in media articles. Please note that the LDF has been separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957 – although the LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.