WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, America First Legal (AFL) received notification that the global pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Pasteur, Inc., apparently agreed to abandon racially discriminatory programs that AFL identified in a federal civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
In January, AFL filed a federal civil rights complaint against Sanofi with the OFCCP for alleged discrimination and called for immediate investigations into the company. Sanofi has received over one billion dollars in federal contracts, primarily for its vaccines. However, these contracts include an “equal opportunity clause” that prohibits federal contractors from employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
On September 5, 2024, OFCCP held an “informal compliance conference” with Sanofi in accordance with 41 C.F.R. § 60-1.24(c)(2). Under the terms of that regulation, OFCCP holds informal compliance conferences in order to resolve a matter after its complaint investigation “indicates a violation of the equal opportunity clause.” According to OFCCP, Sanofi has acknowledged and agreed to end its illegal, discriminatory hiring practices, which included race and sex-based quotas for hiring and promotions following AFL’s complaint.
Statement from Gene Hamilton, America First Legal Executive Director:
“All organizations should make employment decisions based on merit–the sole focus should be on whether or not the individual’s unique talents and capabilities will advance the organization’s mission. All discrimination is wrong–legally and morally–and leads to less productive organizations, and in turn, less productive societies. We are pleased that Sanofi has pledged to the federal government that it will no longer discriminate against Americans based on their immutable characteristics, and all major corporations should follow in their footsteps,“ said Gene Hamilton.
Read the letter here.
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Photo credit: adobe stock images / Sophie
