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Posted on Fri, Sep. 16, 2005



Torrance nursing home sued over language bias


Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - A nursing home was sued Friday for allegedly discriminating against its Hispanic workers by prohibiting them from speaking Spanish on the job.

The lawsuit against Torrance-based Royalwood Care Center alleges that its English-only language rule violated federal law.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged that a worker, who spoke only Spanish, was fired for speaking his native tongue on the job. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeks reinstatement and backpay for the worker.

The agency alleged that other Hispanic workers also were reprimanded, but that the nursing home allowed non-Hispanic workers to speak their own language.

"We concluded that Royalwood overreached with its English-only policy and what's more, enforced it only against Hispanic employees," EEOC district director Olophius Perry said in a statement.

Royalwood did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.