Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Filed against Southern California Edison

It’s the third racial discrimination lawsuit filed by African-American employees of Southern California Edison. This week, a group of 11 current and former employees of the utility company filed a lawsuit, alleging there was a continuing policy of racial discrimination that kept black persons at low pay levels, and hindered their prospects for promotions.

The suit was filed this week in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges that Southern California Edison had a work environment that was racially hostile. Few African Americans at the company are in senior management positions. At least one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, alleges that she has worked for the company for over 35 years training employees who would then move on to promotions ahead of her. White persons with less experience and seniority were preferred over black persons. The lawsuit also alleges that African-Americans are not paid equally as their white counterparts, and that they receive unfair work assignments.

It's the third such lawsuit filed against Southern California Edison. Two other lawsuits were filed in 1974 and 1994. Those lawsuits also alleged racial discrimination. In fact, many of the persons named in the new lawsuit filed this week, were also named in the 1994 lawsuit. In that lawsuit, Southern California Edison was asked to comply with a consent decree, in which the company would pay $11.3 million into a settlement fund, and would then start employee training programs.

Under the consent decree, the company was ordered to enhance opportunities for African-Americans at Southern California Edison. However, Los Angeles employment law lawyers have learned from a Southern California Public Radio report that the African American population of the company has actually declined by as much as 40% since the 1994 lawsuit. The new racial discrimination class action lawsuit claims damages and an injunction that would force Southern California Edison to comply with the consent decree.