Joe Biden’s recent visit to a Sheetz convenience store in Pennsylvania occurred on the same day his administration filed a discrimination lawsuit against Sheetz Inc., a company with over 700 stores in six states. The lawsuit alleges discrimination against Native American, Black, and multiracial job applicants through the company’s criminal background check system.
According to the Associated Press, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the suit in Baltimore, claiming that Sheetz’s hiring practices disproportionately impacted minority applicants, violating federal civil rights law.
While the EEOC does not allege racial animus, they argue that Sheetz’s use of criminal background checks to screen job seekers violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and national origin.
Sheetz, a family-run company with over 23,000 employees, responded by stating that they “do not tolerate discrimination of any kind” and emphasized their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The EEOC seeks back pay and retroactive seniority for applicants denied jobs due to the company’s screening process, which reportedly impacted Black applicants at a rate of 14.5%, multiracial applicants at 13.5%, and Native American applicants at 13%.
The lawsuit’s timing coincided with Biden’s visit to the Sheetz store, where he made a low-key stop ordering sandwiches and food items, attempting to connect with regular Americans.
The case has stirred social media outrage, with even entrepreneur Elon Musk commenting, “This is crazy.”
