Recently, he EEOC filed a lawsuit in federal court against a North Carolina restaurant alleging its failure to hire male applicants who applied to non-managerial front-of-house positions, including server, bartender and host/hostess positions. The allegations in the lawsuit date back to December 2019.
The EEOC is also inviting other potential plaintiffs to join the lawsuit.
For all the talk about the “new focus” of the current administration, the EEOC filed the instant lawsuit in September 2024. However, the new administration is continuing the case and pushing to find more plaintiffs. In other words, it’s not all about #DEI.
Additionally, the case is a good reminder that federal anti-discrimination laws apply to any discrimination based on a protected class. Thus, whether discrimination is based on someone being male or female, it’s just discrimination and not “reverse discrimination.”
Bottom line, while it’s not necessarily “business as usual” at the EEOC, employers should be aware that it’s still about a lot more than just DEI matters.