Prudential Settles Discrimination Suit

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Prudential Insurance Co. has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a national-origin discrimination suit brought on behalf of four Haitians who were allegedly prohibited from speaking Creole at work.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Brooklyn federal court at the same time the settlement was announced, alleges that even though the Haitians were prevented from speaking Creole, their native language, several co-workers were not reprimanded for regularly speaking French, Russian, Italian, Greek, Lebanese and Spanish.

The suit also alleged that Prudential failed to take remedial action after employees complained about the discriminatory practices.

Bob DeFillippo, a Prudential spokesman, said the company agreed to the settlement without admitting guilt.

The company is a unit of Prudential Financial, which plans to go public on the New York Stock Exchange this year under the ticker symbol PRU.