Coral Gables AutoNation to Pay $150,000 in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

August 27, 2018

An AutoNation-owned Coral Gables car dealership will pay a former longtime assistant parts manager $150,000 to settle a sexual discrimination lawsuit after the dealership hired a less-qualified man as parts manager, then had her train him.

The lawsuit says AutoNation management told the woman that the job “needed a man.”

The money owed to the woman is part of a consent decree between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed the lawsuit, and Abraham Chevrolet-Miami (better known as “AutoNation Chevrolet Coral Gables”) and LP Evans Motor WPB (better known as Mercedes-Benz of Miami”).

For the next three years, both dealerships also must have annual live messages from the general managers on equal employment opportunity and diversity. Also, there will be annual training for managers and employees of certain departments on obeying laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when hiring and dealing with discrimination complaints.

According to the lawsuit filed on the woman’s behalf by the EEOC, she started working at AutoNation Chevrolet Coral Gables in 1996 and became assistant parts manager in 2003. During the 10 years she held that job, she helped run all aspects of the Parts Department, including occasionally doing the manager’s job when necessary. She also let it be known she’d like the parts manager job should the position come open.

The suit says that happened during summer 2013 when the parts manager got bumped up to wholesale parts director. But the dealership never posted the job as open nor did it interview anyone, the suit says.

In August 2013, a new parts manager was announced at a company meeting. He had been a sales associate, so the dealership told the woman to train him in his new job.

The dealership felt she was equipped enough to train the parts manager, the suit claims, but not equipped to be the parts manager.

The woman was told by management that the dealer “needed a man” for the position, the complaint said. But the “defendants’ management acknowledged that Charging Party was the most qualified candidate for the Parts Manager position, but advised that ‘it was too late to undo things.”

Gender discrimination in the workplace entails failing to hire someone or firing someone because of their sex or gender. This includes not promoting worthy candidates, paying less compensation to a worker of one sex or one gender identification than another, creating a hostile work environment, and numerous other job aspects that relate to discrimination. If you have been treated unfairly at work, you may be the victim of unlawful discrimination.

Our South Florida Discrimination Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help anyone who is the subject of unlawful discrimination in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. We will fight to hold the employer accountable for their wrongful actions so that you get all the work benefits you deserve. To review your case with us for free, call us today at 561-367-8777 or contact us online.