Security Engineers, Inc., a contract security solutions provider headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, will pay $1.6 million and provide other relief to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC.)
In its lawsuit, the EEOC charged that Security Engineers engaged in sex discrimination throughout Alabama when the company denied security officer jobs and assignments to a class of women, beginning in at least 2017. The EEOC’s court filings referred to discriminatory directives in the Security Engineers human resources database that said: “DO NOT schedule a female for this post” and “Post is MALE ONLY!” The EEOC also alleged that Security Engineers personnel admitted to some women applicants that they would not be selected for security positions or assignments because of sex. The EEOC’s complaint alleged that Security Engineers maintained a pattern or practice of sex discrimination for several years, denying women security officer opportunities despite their experience in security, law enforcement or the military.
Under the three-year decree resolving the lawsuit, Security Engineers will pay $1.6 million in monetary relief that will be distributed by the EEOC to a class of women who were denied security officer employment opportunities. The decree also prohibits Security Engineers from discriminating based on sex, including prohibiting the company from complying with discriminatory client requests. The settlement further requires that Security Engineers delete all directives not to select, assign or hire women because of sex, and it provides for training, monitoring and reporting. According to the consent decree, hiring decisions for security officer jobs at Security Engineers shall not be based on sex, regardless of site or work location.
Title VII protects applicants and employees from discrimination based on sex in hiring and job assignments, and the EEOC is committed to enforcing and remedying unlawful sex discrimination. If you have been the victim of discrimination or have questions about your rights as a worker, contact the attorneys of Pechman Law Group at 212-583-9500.
