Central Station Casino in Colorado instituted an “English‐Only” policy for their housekeeping department after a non–Spanish‐speaking employee thought that other employees were talking about her in Spanish. The policy was defended as necessary for safety reasons. To enforce the policy, managers and non‐Hispanic employees would shout “English, English!” at Hispanic employees when they encountered them in the halls of the hotel. Because of the embarrassment and distress this caused, the Hispanic employees filed a complaint with the EEOC.

The EEOC settled the Central Station Casino complaint with a settlement of $1.5 million awarded to the Hispanic employees. Central Station Casino was directed to inform all employees that there was no English‐only policy and provide training to ensure that discrimination does not occur.

Ethical questions: 

Should employers be permitted to require that only English be spoken in the workplace? Would it make a difference if it were a family‐owned Chinese restaurant? What if it is necessary for successful performance or to prevent a safety or health hazard? Should the Supreme Court view this as a discriminatory practice or render a decision that would create a single, nationwide standard on English‐only? What do you think about this issue?