equal employment opportunity commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. An independent federal commission that investigates claims of employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or age and enforces antidiscrimination statutes through lawsuits. • It was created by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC encourages mediation and other nonlitigious means of resolving employment disputes. A claimant must file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC before pursuing a claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and certain other employment-related statutes. — Abbr. EEOC. [Cases: Civil Rights 1503. C.J.S. Civil Rights §§ 159, 165.]