EEOC v. Famous Chicken, No. 13-CV-664 (E.D. Tex. Sept. 12, 2013)

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination, brought this lawsuit against Popeye's Chicken franchise. A Longview, Texas, general manager refused employment to an applicant based on discovery of the applicant's HIV status. As the EEOC made clear in its press release, "[p]ursuing this case is part of the EEOC's overall strategic effort to encourage employers to prevent discrimination by making hiring decisions that are well-informed, rather than snap judgments that are based on myths, fears and stereotypes about people with HIV." Challenging HIV-related discrimination cases through EEOC or private litigation is critically important to ensure that people living with HIV have employment opportunities, and to combat HIV prejudice, bias, and stigma.