The EEOC recently settled a sex discrimination case for $1.6 million 💰💰💰‼️
According to the EEOC it “charged that Security Engineers engaged in sex discrimination throughout Alabama when the company denied security officer jobs and assignments to a class of women, beginning in at least 2017. The EEOC’s court filings referred to discriminatory directives in the Security Engineers human resources database that said: ‘DO NOT schedule a female for this post’ and ‘Post is MALE ONLY!’ The EEOC also alleged that Security Engineers personnel admitted to some women applicants that they would not be selected for security positions or assignments because of sex. The EEOC’s complaint alleged that Security Engineers maintained a pattern or practice of sex discrimination for several years, denying women security officer opportunities despite their experience in security, law enforcement or the military.”
“Under the three-year decree resolving the lawsuit, Security Engineers will pay $1.6 million in monetary relief that will be distributed by the EEOC to a class of women who were denied security officer employment opportunities. The decree also prohibits Security Engineers from discriminating based on sex, including prohibiting the company from complying with discriminatory client requests. The settlement further requires that Security Engineers delete all directives not to select, assign or hire women because of sex, and it provides for training, monitoring and reporting. According to the consent decree, hiring decisions for security officer jobs at Security Engineers shall not be based on sex, regardless of site or work location.”
The case is illustrative of two points for employers:
1️⃣ It’s not all about DEI. The EEOC is still pursuing other discrimination claims. Employers thinking that the EEOC is backing off its more traditional enforcement function are mistaken.
2️⃣ Blatant sex discrimination as alleged in this case is costly. Employers that don’t take these claims seriously risk being on the wrong end of a massive verdict or settlement.