Groupon Sets Fund To Uplift Black STEM Students After Eight-Year Racial Hiring Discrimination Battle

After eight long years, a settlement has been reached as Groupon has committed to pay $350,000 to help fund Black students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Groupon, a well-known American global e-commerce marketplace, has a reputation that bridges subscribers with local merchants who offer a wide range of amenities, which include activities, travel, goods, and other services across thirteen countries.

The fund comes as an agreement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after an investigation revealed that hiring practices towards minorities were not fair.  Adrian Stratton alleged that Groupon refused to hire him for an open vice president position because he was Black.

Groupon’s $350,000 contribution will help aid the establishment of an educational fund to improve Black students’ STEM education on a primary and secondary level. Scholarships will also be awarded to students who look to pursue degrees in STEM fields.

“Groupon has demonstrated that it is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which includes contributions to further STEM education and by improving its hiring and recruiting practices,” Diane Smason, acting district director of the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, stated.

Now that the settlement has been reached, Groupon will now turn its attention to expanding its annual equal employment opportunity (EEO) training. The training will be administered to its management team and employees as they will be trained on ways to be up to date with current EEO policies and regulations. Groupon’s chief people officer and global head of diversity, equity, and inclusion will oversee and implement those policies and procedures. 

In addition to all the immediate changes in effect, Groupon will also be voluntarily providing annual reports on their recruitment activities along with hiring demographics to the EEOC. During the press release, Emma Coleman, Groupon’s Global Head of Communications and DEI, finished by saying, “Building and nurturing a diverse and engaged workforce is a mission-critical priority for Groupon.”

A future where there is equality for all will always outweigh a future that looks to systematically oppress those who are equally qualified for all jobs.