In 2018, claimants consisting of Hispanic employees of a San Diego Albertsons grocery store allegedly began to be harassed by their managers. They claimed that Hispanic employees, particularly those that were limited English speakers, were harassed because they spoke Spanish at the workplace. They alleged that they were instructed to not speak Spanish, even while on lunch breaks or when assisting Spanish-speaking customers. The Hispanic employees filed claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which first attempted to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC sued Albertsons Companies Inc. and Albertson’s LLC, alleging that the store managers’ actions constituted national origin discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and that the store’s operators were liable for the managers’ actions and for failing to prevent discrimination., The Hispanic employees claimed that they suffered emotional distress as a result of the incidents. Thus, they sought recovery of damages for their alleged emotional pain and suffering.