EEOC Files Class Lawsuit Large Missouri-based Trucking Company for Gender Discrimination

September 22, 2011

Washington - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a class gender discrimination lawsuit against a Missouri-based trucking company when it required that female truck drivers must be trained by female trainers only, a statement released by the agency website said.

According to the EEOC, the policy resulted in qualified female applicants being placed on a waiting list due to the lack of trainers therefore delaying or denying them employment while male applicants proceeded without delay.

The EEOC specifically charged that the company’s policy discriminated against Deanne Roberts, who filed an EEOC charge in 2009, and all similarly situated female truck driver applicants from 2003 to the present. The EEOC anticipates that New Prime will contend that it established this policy to reduce claims of sexual harassment of female trainees.

The lawsuit was filed in US District Court for the Western District of Missouri (EEOC v. New Prime, Inc.Case No. 6:11-cv-03367) after a pre-litigation settlement, through its conciliation process, failed. The EEOC seeks an end to the discriminatory policy as well as back pay and other damages for the women adversely affected by this policy – a class of at least around 100 women, the EEOC believes.