St. Cloud Royal Tire Company Settles Discrimination Suit

ST. CLOUD (AP) — A federal agency says a St. Cloud tire company accused of wage discrimination has agreed to pay a fine of $182,500.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the settlement with Royal Tire Inc. on Monday.

The EEOC alleges that over a three-year period, the company paid its female human-resources director $35,000 per year less than the man who held the job before her.

The agency also says her salary was $19,000 less than the minimum salary for the position under the company's own compensation system.

A person who answered the phone at the company after hours said no one was immediately available to comment.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibits discriminating in compensation based on gender.