Metro Eighteen to Pay $70,098 in EEOC Race Discrimination Suit

LOS ANGELES - Metro Eighteen, Inc., a San Francisco-based home electronics installation company, will pay $70,098 and provide other relief to settle a race harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of a former employee, the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, a black employee at Metro Eighteen's Los Angeles location was subjected to racially charged language and conduct by co-workers. He complained to his supervisor, but the race-based harassment continued. After the employee complained about the harassment, Metro Eighteen fired him in retaliation for making the complaint.

"We commend Metro Eighteen for reaching resolution of this matter and putting in place practices to ensure employees are able to participate in a workplace free of discrimination," said Beatriz Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office. "This lawsuit also brings relief to the employee who endured harassment and was fired for reporting it."

This alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination and retaliation. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Metro Eighteen, Inc., Case No. 2:26-cv-03412-AH(ADSx)) in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

"The EEOC always strives to stop and remedy workplace race discrimination," said Christine Park-Gonzalez, director of the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office. "We commend this employee for bravely seeking to stop mistreatment in the workplace."

For more information on race and color discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination . For more information on retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation .

The EEOC's Los Angeles District includes central and southern California, southern Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island and the Northern Mariana Islands, with offices in Los Angeles, Fresno, Las Vegas, San Diego and Honolulu.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .