BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Legal Newsline) – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Automation Personnel Services Inc. of Pelham, Alabama, for alleged violations of federal law.
According to EEOC, the company refused to hire Andrea Williams for placement with a fiberglass grating product manufacturer because of her sex. Williams found out about a shipping/receiving position at a Lafayette, Louisiana career fair. When she asked to apply, she was allegedly told by a representative that the job was “a man’s job.” EEOC charges that the representative would not let her apply.
"Employers, including staffing agencies, cannot refuse to hire women based on outdated presumptions that women are not capable of performing certain types of jobs," C. Emanuel Smith, regional attorney for EEOC's Birmingham District Office, said. "EEOC will defend the right of women to seek employment regardless of the job category."
Automation’s alleged actions violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. EEOC will seek back pay for Williams in addition to compensatory and punitive damages and injunctive relief.
"Sex discrimination has no place in the 21st century workplace,” Delner Franklin-Thomas, district director for EEOC's Birmingham District, said. “EEOC remains committed through outreach, education and litigation to ensure that women have access to available positions in the workforce, even those that have traditionally been held by men."