A company headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, has agreed to settle a race discrimination lawsuit, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The EEOC accused Schindler Elevator Corporation of discriminating against a black elevator mechanic. The man had been an employee of the company for 29 years when he was fired for reportedly having poor technical and customer service skills. However, the man was a better performing employee than the other employees who were retained – all of whom are white.

Schindler apparently did not have any formal layoff procedure in place, but allowed one field superintendent to decide who to fire.

Of course, discrimination on the basis of race is outlawed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Schindler has agreed not only to compensate the aggrieved employee with $35,000, but also to conduct anti-discrimination training and take other steps to avoid subjecting employees to racial discrimination.

This case is a reminder that racial discrimination still exists in today’s modern workplace. While many employers may not practice discrimination on a large scale, they may neglect to provide sufficient training to supervisors who have control over the daily work environment of employees. When supervisors do not have a solid background in anti-discrimination and anti-harassment law, their personal prejudices may seep into the work environment.

Many employees, however, are subjected to discrimination not from supervisors but from co-workers. When a worker is being discriminated against or harassed by a colleague, he or she has the right to complain to a person of authority. Once a complaint has been made, the employer is legally obligated to take effective action to stop the illegal workplace activity.

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Schindler Elevator Corporation to Pay $35,000 to Settle EEOC Race Discrimination Suit,” Sept. 13, 2013