Kentucky company to pay $227,636 to settle claims of hiring discrimination

A Kentucky company will pay $227,636 to settle allegations that it discriminated against people in hiring, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The agency alleged that Allan Baker Inc., in Louisville, formerly known as Korrect Optical, discriminated against Black and white people who applied for jobs but didn’t get hired, the agency said in a news release.

The company makes and sells eyeglasses. It has optical laboratories in Louisville and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

A division of the Department of Labor reviewed hiring at the company because it is a federal contractor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense and other agencies.

The review showed there were significant differences in the company’s hiring rates between white and Black applicants compared to Hispanic applicants, according to the Department of Labor.

Allan Baker did not admit wrongdoing in the case, but agreed to revise hiring procedures and offer jobs to 31 people.

More than 600 applicants who didn’t get jobs will be eligible for shares of the settlement of at least $348 each, according to a sample notification letter posted in the case.