A federal sex discrimination lawsuit has recently been filed against the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Mobile, Alabama by officials at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Filed on September 30th, this discrimination case (EEOC v. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated et al., Case No. 1:15-cv-00486) alleges that:
- Coca-Cola failed to hire qualified female job applicants for warehouse positions, opting instead to hire two less qualified male candidates.
- Coca-Cola failed to retain the job application materials, violating federal record-keeping regulations.
Although EEOC officials reportedly tried to settle this case via its pre-trial conciliation process, no settlement could be reached, spurring the Commission to pursue litigation and seek “monetary relief in the form of back pay, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages,” as well as “an injunction against future discrimination,” according to the press release announcing this lawsuit.
Commenting on this case and the EEOC’s commitment to go after discriminatory employers, Delner Franklin-Thomas, district director of EEOC’s Birmingham District Office, has stated, “The Commission will continue to pursue companies that maintain arbitrary and unfair barriers to equal opportunity in the workplace based on sex.”
EEOC Birmingham Regional Attorney C. Emanuel Smith backed Franklin-Thomas’ comments, stating that:
When a company practices sex discrimination such as this – ignoring and shunning an experienced and qualified applicant simply because of her gender – then it’s only harming itself, not only by losing a valuable employee, but also by facing the consequences of violating federal law.
Workplace Sex Discrimination: How It Commonly Occurs & What Workers Should Know
Failing to hire a job applicant on the basis of his or her gender, which serves as the basis for this EEOC lawsuit, is just one form of sex discrimination that can happen in the workplace.
Other ways employers may discrimination against workers on the basis of gender include (but are by no means limited to):
- Failing to pay workers fair or equal compensation based on gender
- Overlooking workers for promotions due to their gender
- Assigning workers unfavorable tasks and/or schedules due to their gender
- Demoting, laying off and/or firing workers on the basis of their gender.
When these or other forms of sex discrimination happen at work, employees should consult with an attorney ASAP to find out more about their rights and options for justice and financial recovery.
Contact an Atlanta Employment Lawyer at the Law Firm of Barrett & Farahany, LLP, LLP
Have you been the target of sex discrimination at work? Or have you experienced any type of discrimination, harassment or violation at the hands of an employer? If so, you can turn to an experienced Atlanta employment lawyer at the Law Firm of Barrett & Farahany, LLP, LLP for aggressive legal advocacy and the highest quality legal services.
To learn more about our services and how we can assist you, contact us today by calling (404) 238-7299 or by emailing us using the contact form at the bottom of this screen.
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