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Wieland Homes settles discrimination suit

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Atlanta homebuilder John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods Inc. will pay $378,500 to settle six claims of race and sex discrimination.

The company further agreed to hire at least 10 African-Americans and women for management positions within the next six years, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Wieland will now implement nondiscriminatory hiring measures that include targeted recruitment and advertising, and training for positive EEO management practices.

The settlement brings to a close the EEOCs discrimination lawsuit filed in 2009.

The settlement with the EEOC announced today relates to an incident alleged to have occurred in 2004, company CEO John Wieland said in a statement.

Consistent with our past statements, we deny that we ever engaged in the practices alleged by the EEOC in this suit. Before and since, our company has maintained a commitment to equal opportunity and will continue to do so. This settlement allows us to resolve all issues with the EEOC, avoid the cost of further litigation, and return our focus to the business of building quality homes.

The suit claimed John Wieland Homes intentionally assigned black sales agents to housing communities based on the race of the surrounding community. The lawsuit alleges this led to black agents earning significantly less than their white counterparts, who were assigned to housing communities where they sold higher-priced homes.

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