A federal judge in Michigan is requiring the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to pay $751,942 in attorneys’ fees for a staffing firm, according to a court order from March 31.

The EEOC sued Peoplemark Inc., a commercial staffing firm, on May 29, 2008, claiming the company had a policy against hiring anybody with a criminal record and that this policy adversely impacted African Americans, according to court filings.

The case was dismissed on March 29, 2010, according to court records. Information prepared by an expert for Peoplemark found that 22 percent of 286 alleged victims had been hired by Peoplemark despite having felony records.

“This is one of those cases where the complaint turned out to be without foundation from the beginning,” Judge Hugh Brenneman Jr. wrote in the order granting Peoplemark attorneys’ fees.

The EEOC objected to the awarding of fees, according to court documents.