Are there any negative ramifications of filing a lawsuit after EEOC determination?
Answer Dear Klay: I don’t know why your lawyer thinks the EEOC will make a no reasonable cause determination in your case. After the EEOC has had the case for the requisite amount of time (as I recall, that’s 60 days) (and it has been submitted to the relevant state fair employment practices agency, if there is one), you have the right to file a lawsuit. I do not know the percentage of cases in which the court comes up with a determination different from that of the EEOC; you might want to call your nearby EEOC office to see if they have any statistics on that. The filing of a lawsuit could get the former employer to offer a settlement. I have no idea how often that happens. Again, you might ask the EEOC rep if he or she has any information on that. The ramifications of filing a lawsuit are: it is time consuming and emotionally difficult, it is expensive, and if a potential future employer learns of it, it may cause him or her not to want to hire you.
