Over the weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris visited a convenience store in Pennsylvania, which the Biden-Harris administration had filed a lawsuit against in April for purportedly implementing discriminatory hiring practices.
Accompanied by her running mate, Democratic Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, Harris made a stop at a Sheetz convenience store located in western Pennsylvania on Sunday. This visit was part of a brief tour of the vital swing state in anticipation of the upcoming Democratic National Convention. The administration’s lawsuit against the chain alleges that it engaged in racial discrimination by evaluating potential employees based on their criminal histories.
Every road trip needs a snack break.
Doritos acquired. I got you, @KamalaHarris. pic.twitter.com/5nXfEARqwF
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 18, 2024
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an autonomous federal agency, initiated legal action against Sheetz and two of its subsidiaries in April, alleging that the routine criminal background checks conducted for potential hires disproportionately affect minority groups and constitute discrimination, as reported by The Associated Press. Sheetz has refuted these claims, asserting that it does not engage in discriminatory practices and that racial discrimination is unacceptable within its operations.
The lawsuit filed by the federal government indicated that black job applicants who did not pass the background checks were denied employment at Sheetz 14.5% of the time, while multiracial applicants faced a rejection rate of 13%, and Native American applicants experienced a similar rejection rate of 13%. In contrast, white applicants encountered a denial rate of less than 8%, according to the AP. On Sunday, while inside the store, Harris and Walz selected snacks for their journey as they continued their tour of Pennsylvania. Harris seems to have a particular fondness for Doritos, the snack she chose at Sheetz, reminiscent of her indulgence in the cheesy chips during her dismay over former President Donald Trump’s election victory in 2016, as noted in a campaign email.
