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According to US officials, Sheetz Inc., which owns over 700 outlets in six states, discriminated against Black, Native American, and multiracial job seekers by automatically rejecting applicants who failed a criminal background check.

This week, while campaigning in Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden stopped at a Sheetz for snacks, according to AP News.

Sheetz Hit With Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit in Baltimore against Sheetz of Altoona, Pennsylvania, and two subsidiary firms, saying that the chain's long-standing employment practices disproportionately affect minority candidates and so violate federal civil rights legislation.

Sheetz stated on Thursday that it "does not tolerate discrimination of any kind."

The privately held, family-run corporation employs over 23,000 people and owns convenience stores and gas stations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and North Carolina.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Wednesday, the same day Biden stopped at a Sheetz on a campaign swing through western Pennsylvania, buying snacks, posing for photos, and conversing with customers and employees.

Federal officials said they do not believe Sheetz was motivated by racial animus, but they are concerned about how the company screens job applicants using criminal background checks.

The corporation was sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids workplace discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or national origin.

It was not immediately apparent how many job applicants were affected, but the agency stated that Sheetz's illegal hiring practices stretch back to at least 2015.

EEOC Demands Back Pay, Employment

The EEOC, an independent organization that enforces federal workplace discrimination laws, is attempting to compel Sheetz to hire candidates who were wrongfully denied employment and to grant back pay, retroactive seniority, and other benefits.

The EEOC began investigating the convenience store company after two job seekers submitted complaints alleging employment discrimination.

The agency discovered that Black job applicants were determined to have failed the company's criminal background check and were rejected employment at a rate of 14.5%, while multiracial job seekers were turned down 13.5% of the time and Native Americans were denied at a rate of 13%.

In contrast, the EEOC's lawsuit stated that fewer than 8% of white candidates were denied employment due to a failed criminal background check.

The EEOC alerted Sheetz in 2022 that it was likely violating civil rights law, but the agency stated that its efforts to reach a settlement were unsuccessful, triggering this week's complaint.