PMT Corp. must pony up nearly $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that the medical device maker refused to hire women and people over the age of 40.
The EEOC filed the suit in the spring of 2014 after a former human resources director at PMT accused its leadership, including president & CEO Alfred Iversen, of discriminatory practices. The whistleblower also accused PMT of filing a false felony theft allegation with the local sheriff’s office.
There were no female sales reps hired at PMT Medical between Jan. 1, 2007, through late in the year in 2010, although the company hired at least 70 men during that time, the commission found.
A consent decree between PMT and the commission calls for the company to pay $1.02 million to the whistleblower and a class of job applicants who were rejected for sales positions because they were women or over the age of 40. The decree also requires PMT to put up $50,000 to cover the cost of administering payments to class members, according to court documents. The decree also mandates a 4-year monitoring period for PMT, according to the documents.
“We are extremely pleased to reach the result announced today,” EEOC regional attorney John Hendrickson said in prepared remarks. “This litigation has produced important legal decisions, ensuring the protection of women and older workers from discriminatory hiring practices and represents yet another significant example of EEOC’s focus on systemic discrimination. The public has benefited because EEOC and PMT were able to sit down and talk with each other and craft a workable resolution in a complex lawsuit. That doesn’t always happen. Not all employers are resolved to deal with tough issues and to get on with business.”
Chanhassen, Minn.-based PMT makes devices for the neurosurgery, orthopedic, plastic & reconstructive surgery markets.
