Benefits March 1, 2007

Micron Settles Discrimination Charges

March 1, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Micron Technology, a Boise, Idaho manufacturer of semiconductors, has agreed to a $60,000 settlement in a workplace discrimination case involving an ex-employee who claimed he was mistreated because he was a racial minority and was deaf.
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According to a news report in the Deseret Morning News, Micron agreed to the payment to Jose Artalejo and to provide him a letter of regret and a positive letter of recommendation.

Quoting a news release from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the news report said the agency alleged Artalejo’s co-workers made “a variety of offensive comments regarding (Artalejo’s) hearing impairments,” that some mocked him by pretending to communicate via sign language and that others referred to Artalejo using racial epithets. Artalejo was employed by Micron from 2000 through 2002.

The EEOC said Artalejo complained to Micron officials, who then “failed to take appropriate action to prevent or correct the conduct.” Further, the commission alleged that Micron denied Artalejo “reasonable accommodations for his hearing impairment and fired him because he complained of discrimination.”

Micron spokesman Daniel Francisco told the newspaper that the company “denies any illegal discrimination or harassment occurred in this case.”

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