Sheetz Faces Lawsuit from EEOC Over Criminal Background Check Discrimination

Gas station chain Sheetz is facing a lawsuit from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for conducting criminal background checks on job applicants in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC alleges that by not hiring individuals with criminal conviction records, particularly black, Native American, Alaska Native and multiracial candidates, Sheetz has disproportionately screened out these groups from its employment process. According to Debra M. Lawrence, the Regional Attorney for the EEOC, employers must prove that such practices are necessary in order to ensure safe and efficient performance of their specific roles when hiring; if another method can cause less discriminatory effect while still achieving similar results, it should be adopted instead. The lawsuit was filed a day after President Joe Biden made a campaign stop at one of Sheetz’s locations during his reelection run. In response to the allegations, Nick Ruffner, public relations manager for Sheetz, stated that “Sheetz does not tolerate discrimination in any form” and added that diversity and inclusion are integral parts of its identity. The company has attempted to work with EEOC over nearly eight years but failed to resolve this dispute amicably. In 2020, sheeTS launched an IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) initiative aimed at enhancing the inclusivity of its workplace environment. Sheetz has a presence in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland with over 600 locations; it announced plans to expand into Michigan last year.