Hughes Admits U.S. Is Probing Discrimination : But Aircraft Firm Denies Existence of Any Company Pattern Against Blacks

A federal anti-discrimination agency is investigating about 100 complaints against Hughes Aircraft, including 42 brought by blacks alleging racial discrimination on the job, according to the company’s highest-ranking black employee.

On Friday, David R. Barclay, who as staff vice president for human resource programs is the El Segundo-based company’s highest-ranking black, responded to an article in the Daily Breeze newspaper in Torrance that disclosed the existence of the investigation at Hughes by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The firm, which has about 79,000 workers, is a subsidiary of GM Hughes Electronics.

About two months ago, Barclay confirmed, the EEOC began an accelerated program of resolving an accumulation of complaints, dating back as much as four years. But, he added, “We are denying that there is any pattern or institutionalized discrimination against black employees or any other group of employees.”

Hughes President Donald H. White conceded in a Dec. 5 memo that there is “a perception by many of our employees that they are victims of unequal treatment.” However, he, too, denied any pattern of discrimination.

Barclay went on to say: “As large as we are, we are a reflection of the general society. We have, no doubt, problem people in the company, just as the society does. I am not going to sit here and deny we have cases of discrimination. It is our intent to eliminate it where we can discover it.”

The company has promoted people who had been passed over earlier, he said, and has provided other restitution for victims of discrimination. Also, he said, Hughes had disciplined those responsible with letters of reprimand, suspensions and, in a few cases, firings.

Barclay said Hughes has had an affirmative action program for about 20 years and that about 10% of its employees are black. “We have black employees at all levels of the company,” he said.

He was promoted to vice president in July, he said, after the EEOC told the company that it wanted to resolve all outstanding cases against Hughes and that his duties did not change “substantially.” As one of the company’s lowest-ranking vice presidents, he manages a staff of 15.

Barclay said his own promotion was not an effort by Hughes to improve its image in the eyes of the federal agency. “I believe that promotion was made in view of my service to the company in the past and to elevate the importance of a number of programs I have responsibility for.”

He said he did not know when the EEOC would complete its investigation.