Trump Administration Sues Coca-Cola Bottler for Organizing Women-Only Networking Event

The Trump administration is suing a Coca-Cola distributor for alleged sex discrimination over a women-only networking event, accusing the company of illegally excluding men.The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, filed the federal lawsuit Wednesday against Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast concerning a two-day employer-sponsored event in September 2024 at Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Connecticut.It is the first time the EEOC has sued a company over a diversity-focused program that it alleges was unlawful. The program featured team-building exercises, recreational activities, a social reception, and presentations from senior executives, including the president of Coca-Cola’s North America operation, Jennifer Mann, Reuters reported. About 250 women attended the event.According to the EEOC, the beverage maker “privately invited female employees and then excused the female employees who attended the event from their normal work duties … and paid them their normal salary or wages without requiring them to use vacation or other paid time off.”However, it “did not invite any male employees to the event.”In a statement, the acting general counsel of the EEOC, Catherine Eschbach, said, “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has long made the exclusion of one protected class of employees from an employer-sponsored event a violation of the law.”“Excluding men from an employer-sponsored event is a Title VII violation that the EEOC will act to remedy through litigation when necessary,” she added. “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.”Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast did not respond to a request from The New York Sun for comment by the time of publication.The lawsuit comes as the Trump administration is trying to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in both the federal government and the private sector. The EEOC is investigating Nike and Northwestern Mutual for alleged “reverse discrimination.” Last March, the commission sent letters to 20 law firms requesting information about any DEI-related employment policies.

Trump Administration Sues Coca-Cola Bottler for Organizing Women-Only Networking Event

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