Rent-A-Center Settles Sex Discrimination Suit

A nationwide rent-to-own company will pay $47 million to more than 5,300 women and make sweeping changes to its employment practices in settling two sex discrimination lawsuits, the company and attorneys for women who sued it said.

Plano, Texas-based Rent-A-Center Inc. admitted no liability but agreed to fill 10% of job vacancies in the first 15 months after the deal with women who alleged they were fired because of their gender since 1998 or were rejected as job applicants.

Rent-A-Center also must create a human resources department and seek women for what now is the company’s all-male board of directors.

Shares of Rent-A-Center rose $3.05 to $48.05 on Nasdaq.