The federal government will pay $880,000 to settle a 3-year-old lawsuit in which white, male civilian workers at Robins Air Force Bases claimed blacks and women received preferential treatment.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Lee Parks of Atlanta said quotas were part of a systemwide problem, but a decision was made to settle on behalf of nine employees because evidence of discrimination against them was strongest. That evidence included e-mails and admissions from supervisors that they were pressured to increase the appraisals of blacks and women and decrease those of other workers.
“The quota-based performance process went on for a good number of years and affected hundreds, if not thousands, of people,” Parks said.