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Press Release 07-30-2018

EEOC Sues Park School of Baltimore Inc. For Sex Discrimination

School Fired Softball Coach Because of His Gender, Federal Agency Says

BALTIMORE - Park School of Baltimore Inc., a private school in Pikesville, Md., violated federal law when it refused to renew the employment contract of a male softball coach because it preferred female leadership, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it announced today. 

The EEOC charges that the Park School hired a male as a head softball coach in the spring of 2014, and renewed his employment contract as a head softball coach in 2015 and 2016.  In 2017, however, the Park School told him that it would not renew his contract for the 2017 softball season because of its "preference for female leadership."  According to the suit, the Park School did not renew the coach's employment contract, despite his satisfactory job performance, because he is a male.  

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits discrimination based on sex. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Park School of Baltimore Inc., Civil Action No. 1:18-cv-02319-RDB) in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, after first attempting to reach a voluntary, pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

EEOC Regional Attorney Debra M. Lawrence said, "Title VII protects both men and women from discrimination based on sex. The law is clear--employers should make employment decisions based on the employee's qualifications, not gender."  

The EEOC's Baltimore Field Office is one of four offices in the EEOC Philadelphia District Office, which has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and parts of New Jersey and Ohio. Attorneys in the EEOC Philadelphia District Office also prosecute discrimination cases in Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.