Allied Services, LLC, doing business as Allied Waste Services of the Ozarks / Republic Services of the Ozarks, agreed to the settlement after the EEOC filed suit alleging the company engaged in a pattern of sex-based hiring discrimination for driver positions at its Springfield, Missouri facility. The company, which provides waste management services nationwide, had no female drivers at the time of the alleged discrimination.
The EEOC's lawsuit centered on Republic Services' treatment of Jamie Mendoza, who applied for a garbage truck driver position in May 2020. According to the complaint, company managers told Mendoza during her interview that "female drivers had not worked out in the past" and questioned whether she truly wanted the position because the company would need to build a locker room with shower facilities for female drivers. When Mendoza confirmed her interest in the job, Republic Services rejected her application and hired a less-qualified male candidate instead.
Beyond the Mendoza incident, the EEOC alleged that Republic Services had routinely failed to hire qualified female applicants for driver positions since at least March 2020 because of their sex. The conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, the agency said.
The settlement comes as part of the EEOC's broader enforcement efforts targeting sex discrimination in traditionally male-dominated industries. The waste management sector has faced increased scrutiny from federal regulators over workplace conditions and hiring practices, with the EEOC prioritizing cases involving systemic exclusion of women from blue-collar positions.
"When employers make hiring decisions based on sex, rather than qualifications, both the employer and the applicants suffer," said Andrea G. Baran, regional attorney for the EEOC's St. Louis District. "The EEOC is committed to enforcing the law to ensure that applicants are not shut out from particular jobs or industries because of their sex."
David S. Davis, district director for the EEOC's St. Louis District Office, emphasized the agency's commitment to equal employment opportunity. "Every worker deserves a fair shot at a job regardless of their sex," Davis said. "The EEOC will continue to protect workers from unlawful sex discrimination."
The EEOC filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri after attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process. The settlement terms beyond the monetary payment were not disclosed in the agency's announcement.