A Georgia sanitation company will pay $3.1 million to settle an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit alleging that it refused to hire women as truck drivers.
Managers allegedly referred to female applicants as “prissy girls” who were “taking a job away from a man.” U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee in Atlanta approved the settlement on Monday, concluding a lawsuit the EEOC filed last year against Waste Industries USA and three subsidiaries, which denied any wrongdoing.
The EEOC claimed that since at least 2016, the companies turned away numerous qualified women who applied for driver positions. During the application and interview processes, female applicants reportedly faced sexist comments about their appearance and capabilities.
Lawyers for Waste Industries did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows stated that eliminating barriers to hiring in industries where women are underrepresented ranks among the agency’s enforcement priorities. “Through our enforcement, we’ve seen how workplace discrimination and harassment often prevent women from securing and retaining well-paying jobs in trucking,” Burrows said.
Earlier this month, the EEOC held a “listening session” addressing issues faced by female truck drivers, part of a broader initiative to reach out to workers who may be less likely to seek assistance from the agency.
The lawsuit originated from a complaint filed with the EEOC by Christine Ladd, who alleged that Waste Industries refused to hire her in 2018 despite her qualifications exceeding those of some male applicants. According to the lawsuit, a manager informed her that the position was a “man fill” and questioned her motives for applying.
It remains unclear how many women may be eligible to participate in the settlement.
In addition to the payout, Waste Industries agreed to develop hiring, recruitment, and outreach plans aimed at increasing the number of qualified female driver applicants. The company will also review its anti-discrimination policies and allow the EEOC to monitor complaints of sex discrimination.
The case is titled EEOC v. Waste Industries USA, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, No. 1:23-cv-04293. For the EEOC, Meeta Dama and Veronica Cox represent the agency, while Barry Hartstein of Littler Mendelson represents Waste Industries.
