Lee's Food Corp., doing business as Food Rite Community Super­market, will pay $10,500 and provide other relief to settle a sex discrim­ination lawsuit filed by the EEOC.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Food Rite refused to hire Deborah Newell for a vacant part-time courtesy van driver position because of her gender.  The EEOC charged that Newell saw an online job advertisement for a part-time courtesy driver position at Food Rite Community Supermarket in Richmond.   Newell, who met all the job qualifications, went to the Food Rite, where she spoke to the store manager about her interest in the vacant driver position.  The EEOC said the manager told Newell that he would not hire a woman for the courtesy van driver position out of concern that a female driver would be at greater risk of being assaulted on the job than a male driver.   Approximately five days after Newell inquired about the courtesy van driver position, the store hired a male candidate for the position, the EEOC said.

In addition to monetary damages, the three-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit includes injunctive relief prohibiting the company from discriminating on the basis of sex in the future, and from retaliating against employees who resist unlawful discrimination or complain about it.  The settlement also provides that Lee's Food  Corp. will implement an employment policy prohibiting sex discrimination; conduct  training for all employees; post an employee notice about the settlement;  provide a copy of its anti-discrimination policy to all employees; and report discrimination  complaints to the EEOC.