The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Buford, Georgia, U.S.A.-based seafood wholesaler KGI Trading GA over claims of sex discrimination.
“Ensuring that workplaces, including those in historically male-dominated industries, are free from sex discrimination remains a top priority for the EEOC,” Darrell Graham, the district director of the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office, said in a release.
According to the government, KGI Trading GA – doing business as Moon N Sea – rejected female applicants for warehouse positions based on their sex. The lawsuit claims that female applicants were told by the employer that the company preferred to hire men to work in the warehouse because men can perform more tasks, such as lifting heavy objects, than women. The EEOC further claims that less qualified male applicants were hired for the positions over fully qualified female applicants.
In response, the EEOC filed suit in the Atlanta Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
“Title VII prohibits discrimination against an employee because of their sex,” Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office, said in a release. “An employer cannot make decisions based on discriminatory stereotypes about sex that discredit a woman’s ability to perform manual work.”
The EEOC district office noted that it was unable to settle its claims with the company before litigation through a conciliation process.
This follows the EEOC’s May announcement that it had reached a USD 90,000 (EUR 80,271) settlement with Houston, Texas, U.S.A.-based restaurant chain Landry’s Seafood House over harassment complaints. The government alleged the company had harassed an Iranian employee by mocking her accent and appearance. The settlement also required the company to review its harassment and retaliation policies and provide trainings for its employees.
