ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a lawsuit April 5 against American Pride Waste Solutions Inc., a waste collection company in South Carolina, for allegedly discriminating against a qualified female job applicant because of her sex.
"Denying people equal employment opportunity because of gender has been against federal law for more than 50 years,” Antonette Sewell, regional attorney for the Atlanta District Office, said in a statement. “It's distressing that some employers still try to get away with such misconduct but the EEOC will keep combating it."
According to the EEOC, a female applicant for a truck driver position with American Pride was turned down because of her sex. The job allegedly went to a less-qualified male applicant. Purported conduct of this nature violates Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The EEOC seeks back pay and compensatory and punitive damages for the victim, as well as injunctive relief to ban American Pride from future discrimination.
"Federal law clearly requires employers to give equal opportunity to all applicants for positions, regardless of the applicant's sex," Bernice Williams-Kimbrough, director of the EEOC's Atlanta District Office, said in a statement. "That goes for all jobs -- truck drivers, computer programmers, police officers and CEOs. No exceptions."