A US federal agency has launched a landmark lawsuit against a Coca-Cola distributor, alleging the company unlawfully discriminated against male employees by hosting a two-day networking event exclusively for women.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claims Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast Inc violated federal law when it hosted the event for about 250 employees in Connecticut in September, 2024. The event was designed to bring women together to hear from executives and participate in team-building activities and networking.
The lawsuit is the first by the Commission to claim that a diversity-focused workplace event is unlawful, marking a historic shift amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The EEOC accused the company of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by denying male employees the same privileges of employment offered to female employees.
“The unlawful employment practices complained of above were done with malice or reckless indifference to the federally protected rights of male employees,” the EEOC said in its complaint.
In a statement, acting EEOC general counsel Catherine L. Eschbach said women-only workplace events that exclude a protected class of employees, men in this instance, are illegal.
“Excluding men from an employer-sponsored event is a Title VII violation that the EEOC will act to remedy through litigation when necessary,” she said.
“The EEOC remains committed to ensuring that all employees – men and women alike – enjoy equal access to all aspects of their employment, including participation in employer-sponsored events, regardless of their sex, race or other protected category.”
The EEOC is asking a judge for a jury trial to award an undetermined amount in damages to the male employee who filed the complaint, as well as other male employees at Coca-Cola Beverage Northeast Inc.
Historically, the EEOC has been tasked with protecting vulnerable workers from bias and harassment in the workplace.
Founder of Moms First and Girls Who Code Reshma Saujani raised the alarm about the lawsuit on social media, writing: “There is something deeply dangerous about telling women they cannot come together to talk about their experiences at work.”
“What worries me just as much is how normalized this is starting to feel. At what point does this stop being something we shrug off?
“Is anyone’s workplace starting to phase out women’s initiatives? It’s past time we take this seriously.”
The lawsuit comes in the wake of Trump’s dismantling of DEI policies throughout the federal government and the backlash against universities who pursue any DEI initiatives.
Just this week, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly attempted to block the promotion of four military officers, two women and two Black men.
In late February, the Trump-appointed chair of the EEOC Andrea Lucas issued a statement to Fortune 500 companies making clear the agency’s stance on DEI.
“We are the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, not the Equitable Employment Outcomes Commission,” the letter said.
“In the past few years, these bedrock American principles have been under attack by movements and ideologies that elevate group rights over individual rights; demand equal outcomes over equal treatment and equal opportunity; and, most absurdly, twist our nation’s civil rights laws to promote discrimination against certain races or groups, rather than protect all Americans equally and evenhandedly.
“The EEOC stands ready to combat such discrimination and protect each worker’s individual rights to be judged on merit, as well as to help employers provide equal opportunity for all in the workplace.”
Lucas has previously encouraged white men to sue over workplace discrimination, including in a video posted to X late last year.
“Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex?” she said. “You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws. Contact the @USEEOC as soon as possible.”
“The EEOC is committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating ALL race and sex discrimination — including against white male employees and applicants.”