PwC Can Force Arbitration of Employee’s Race Bias Claims (1)

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC can resolve an employee’s race discrimination claims in arbitration, the Fourth Circuit said, ruling that a federal law that would keep the case in court no longer applies to the accounting firm.

Shannon Ashford, who is black and worked as a professional consultant for the company, sued after being passed over for several promotions. Her claims of bias and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 must be arbitrated because PwC currently isn’t covered by a Defense Appropriations Act amendment that went into effect in 2010, the court said.

Known as the “Franken Amendment,” ...