Resource Employment Solutions, LLC (Resource), a temporary staffing agency headquartered in Orlando, Fla., will pay $435,000 to settle a race and national origin discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

EEOC charged that the staffing agency had violated federal law by failing to place a class of African American workers into temporary shipping positions at a FedEx SmartPost location in Southaven, Miss., because of their race and non-Hispanic national origin. Instead Resource granted placement preferences to Hispanic workers. EEOC had also charged that Resource retaliated against an African-American employee who complained of the discrimination by refusing to place her and denying her a promotion. Finally, EEOC had alleged that Resource failed to meet its record-keeping obligations.

The four-year consent decree settling the suit provides that Resource will pay $435,000 to a class of former African American temporary workers and prohibits further discrimination. The decree includes additional provisions for anti-discrimination training, reporting, and postings. A trial had been scheduled for January 2017. In the suit and consent decree Resource denied any wrongdoing.