Lawsuit claims discrimination

Bloomberg News Service

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the largest U.S. auto-rental company measured by outlets, is accused by the federal government in a lawsuit of discriminating against a black job applicant at its Hawai'i office.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a statement that Enterprise's Honolulu facility refused to hire a well-qualified black candidate and filled eight positions with non-blacks with less education and work experience.

"Hiring should be based upon merit and qualifications, not the color of your skin," said EEOC San Francisco District Director Susan L. McDuffie, in the statement.

Christy Conrad, a spokeswoman at Enterprise, said she was not aware of the suit and had no immediate comment. The EEOC seeks damages for the job applicant and an injunction to prevent future discrimination.

Paulo Zandermela, who applied for a management trainee position at Enterprise, had a bachelor's degree and was in his first year of graduate school for a master's in business administration. Those hired by Enterprise were recent college graduates and some had less job experience, the EEOC said.

The suit was filed after efforts to settle the matter failed, McDuffie said.