Federal Judiciary

D. Hawai'i Notes Split Re Whether Courts Have Jurisdiction to Enforce Private Employer Settlement Agreements Prior to EEOC Involvement

By A. Benjamin Spencer

The court recognizes the circuit split regarding whether courts have jurisdiction to enforce private employer (as opposed to federal agency) settlement agreements reached prior to EEOC involvement, i.e., ?predetermination settlement agreements.? See Lindstrom v. United States, 510 F.3d 1191, 1195 n. 5 (10th Cir.2007) (collecting cases); Kraft v. Johanns, 2007 WL 2212890, at * 13 (D.N.D. Jul.31, 2007) (same). The Ninth Circuit has determined that in the private sector, ?[g]enuine investigation, reasonable cause determination and conciliation are jurisdictional conditions precedent to suit....? E.E.O.C. v. Pierce Packing Co., 669 F.2d 605, 608 (9th Cir.1982); see also Cook v. City of Pomona, 884 F.Supp. 1457, 1462-63 (C.D.Cal.1995) (applying Pierce Packing Co. to find that an action seeking enforcement of a settlement agreement between two private parties was not brought under Title VII, but was rather ?merely an action to enforce a private settlement agreement? governed by state law).

Full post as published by Split Circuits on March 25, 2008 (boomark / email).