Convenience store Sheetz Inc. and its related entities unfairly deny employment to Black, American Indian, Alaska Native and multiracial applicants based on their criminal justice histories, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a discrimination lawsuit filed Wednesday. Are.
The agency’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in Baltimore, accuses Sheetz Inc., Sheetz Distribution Services LLC and CLI Transportation LP of engaging in discriminatory conduct since August 2015.
Before an applicant is offered a job, Sheetz uses a third-party vendor to conduct criminal record checks. The complaint states that if an applicant has a criminal record, there is no process to review or appeal the screening findings.
An applicant filed charges with the EEOC in May 2022, prompting the agency to investigate Sheetz’s hiring practices. The parties were unable to reach a settlement agreement before the EEOC filed suit.
Court records show Sheetz and its affiliates have more than 20,000 employees and operate nearly 700 locations in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as operate distribution and other facilities. Are.
Representatives of the parties did not respond to requests for comment.
