Waste Industries and GFL Environmental, Inc. to Pay $3.1 Million in EEOC Sex Discrimination Lawsuit

ATLANTA – Waste Industries U.S.A., LLC, TransWaste Services, LLC, Waste Industries Atlanta LLC, and GFL Environmental, Inc. (Waste Industries), providers of solid waste removal, recycling pickup and landfill operation services, will pay $3.1 million and provide extensive injunctive relief to settle a pattern-or-practice sex discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC’s suit alleged that, since 2016, Waste Industries denied qualified female applicants truck driver positions at multiple company locations throughout Georgia. According to the lawsuit, during the application and interview process, female applicants were subjected to derogatory comments about their feminine appearance based on sex-based stereotypes and were asked sexist questions about their ability to do the job, such as, “Why would you want to do a man’s job?” Despite being fully qualified for the positions, female applicants were denied truck driver positions in favor of less qualified male applicants, the EEOC said.

Such alleged discrimination in Waste Industries’ hiring practices violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit (Civil Action No. 1:23-CV-04293 JPB JEM) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement via its conciliation process.

Waste Industries will pay $3.1 million to be distributed to a class of women who applied for and were unlawfully denied truck driver positions based on their sex. Additionally, Waste Industries agreed to develop hiring, recruitment and outreach plans to increase the pool of qualified female driver applicants; train employees on Title VII’s prohibition against gender discrimination in hiring; maintain certain anti-discrimination policies; post an employee notice; and allow the EEOC to monitor complaints of sex discrimination.

“Eliminating barriers in recruitment and hiring, including those that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in certain industries, is a strategic enforcement priority for the EEOC,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “Through our enforcement, we’ve seen how workplace discrimination and harassment often keep women from getting and keeping good-paying jobs in trucking. The EEOC will continue to use all its tools to ensure the doors of equal opportunity are open to all qualified workers.”

Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office, said, “This consent decree is a significant step towards breaking down the barriers that have kept women from being hired in traditionally male-dominated fields. The EEOC commends Waste Industries for its efforts in bringing the pending litigation to a conclusion, and for its commitment to recruiting a diverse workforce.”

Darrell E. Graham, district director of the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office, added, “The EEOC remains steadfast in its commitment to enforce laws that protect employees and applicants from sex discrimination, particularly in industries where gender disparities have long been ignored. This settlement sends a powerful message that systemic unlawful employment practices will be met with firm action to bring accountability.”

For more information about sex discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sex-based-discrimination. Through the EEOC’s REACH Initiative, the agency held an online listening session concerning the needs of women in trucking on Oct. 4.

The EEOC’s Atlanta District Office has jurisdiction over Georgia and the South Carolina counties of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper, and Williamsburg.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.