Business

High Court: Judges Can Review EEOC Bids to Settle Job Bias

Published

11 years ago

April 30, 2015

SAM HANANEL, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that federal judges have authority, though limited, to make sure the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is trying hard enough to settle charges of job discrimination before filing lawsuits against employers.

The justices said lower courts can review whether government lawyers were being reasonable during settlement negotiations with companies accused of bias.

Employers have closely watched the case. Many companies have said the EEOC has been overly aggressive in recent years, rushing to file costly lawsuits without trying to resolve disputes informally.

The EEOC has a legal duty to try settling cases first, but the question was how much a court could peer into those negotiations to make sure the EEOC was acting in good faith.

The Obama administration argued that courts should have no role in probing confidential settlement talks. But business groups called for expansive review.

The decision is a narrow victory for an Illinois mining company sued by the EEOC for failing to hire qualified female job applicants. The government alleges that Mach Mining has never hired any female miners since it began operations in 2006, despite getting applications from qualified women.

The company wanted the suit thrown out because it claims EEOC officials didn’t try hard enough to negotiate a settlement before going to court. The administration argued that it is solely up to the EEOC to decide whether terms of a settlement are acceptable.

Writing for the court, Justice Elena Kagan adopted a middle ground. She said the scope of judicial review is limited and respects the “expansive discretion” the law gives to the EEOC over settlement talks, known as conciliation.

Kagan said the EEOC must inform an employer about specific charges of discrimination and which employees have suffered. The agency must try to engage the employer in a discussion to give the company a chance to stop practices that may discriminate against racial minorities, women or other protected groups.

Kagan said the commission can simply present a sworn affidavit saying it has met these requirements. If a lower court finds the EEOC has fallen short, it can require the commission to resume settlement talks.

EEOC General Counsel David Lopez called the decision “great news for victims of discrimination” and said he was pleased the court “rejected the intrusive review” proposed by Mach Mining.

Federal law requires the EEOC initially to try to stop illegal employment practices by “informal methods of conference, conciliation and persuasion.” But the law allows the EEOC to go ahead with a lawsuit if it has been unable to reach a conciliation agreement “acceptable to the commission.”

A federal judge agreed to review whether the EEOC’s attempt to settle the case against Mach Mining was “sincere and reasonable,” but the government objected. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, saying a company could not raise ineffective settlement effort as a defense.

The Supreme Court’s ruling settles a split among appeals courts as to how deeply judges can probe the EEOC’s settlement efforts. Some courts have required a minimal level of “good faith,” while others have performed a more thorough analysis. The 7th Circuit was the first appeals court to rule that employers cannot try to dismiss EEOC lawsuits by claiming conciliation efforts were lacking.

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Follow Sam Hananel on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SamHananelAP

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

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March 22, 2026

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Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC