New Jersey Sues Plano Retailer, Claiming It Tolerated Manager's Racial Slurs

New Jersey has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Plano-based Rent-A-Center, saying the national retailer tolerated racial slurs a manager reportedly used frequently at two of the company's stores.The state complaint, filed in Camden Superior Court on Wednesday, requested that Rent-A-Center submit to monitoring by the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights for a period of two years.Attorney General Christopher Porrino says the lawsuit focuses on an assistant manager who frequently used racial slurs when speaking to co-workers at two Rent-A-Center stores in Pennsauken.The company, which has 2,600 stores, denied the allegations."Rent-A-Center is disappointed that the New Jersey Attorney General's Office has decided to expend taxpayer resources on a case that is almost two years old," spokeswoman Gina Hethcock told Philly.com. "The employee, who is currently employed with us, complained to human resources. Rent-A-Center conducted a complete investigation and administered workplace behavior and antidiscrimination training promptly upon receipt of the complaint."The suit states that an African-American assistant manager complained to corporate higher-ups about the Hispanic assistant manager's conduct, but Rent-A-Center only transferred the manager to a second location where the behavior continued. Rent-A-Center required the manager to undergo "corrective coaching" before she was transferred, Philly.com reported.The Associated Press  Continue reading...