The Department of Labor has waged a lawsuit against Denver-based Leprino Foods for discriminatory hiring practices.

Reports Loop 21:

With Black unemployment so high — 16.7% in August, which was unchanged from the month before — it's no secret that African-Americans are having a tough time finding jobs. In Colorado, it seems at least one company may be making it even tougher for Black and minority workers.

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) is suing a Colorado-based cheese producer for discrimination against minority job applicants who applied for on-call labor positions at the company’s California facility.

In the complaint, OFCCP accuses Leprino Foods of not hiring qualified African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics based on a job skills assessment exam that adversely impacted the hiring of these groups. OFCCP’s complaint seeks back wages and interest for more than 200 class members, as well as nearly 17 applicants who were denied job offers. The administration is also requesting the cancelation of all Leprino Foods’ existing federal contracts until matters are resolved.

The report adds that a spokesperson for Leprino Foods said that WordKeys, the job skill exam the company uses, is the created by the same company that makes the college ACT prep exam. It is commonly used by many businesses and government agencies for pre-employment screening, the spokesperson added.

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