Metallurgical manufacturer sued by EEOC for sex discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued LeachGarner, Inc. for violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act (EPA) at its Attleboro, Massachusetts, facility. The metallurgical manufacturer is accused of segregating its manufacturing workforce by sex and paying female employees less than their male counterparts. The EEOC alleges that LeachGarner assigned female workers to lower-paying positions wile telling staffing agencies that they preferred male workers. When female workers were permitted to work alongside men, they were paid less regardless of experience or tenure.

In a recent quote, Jeffrey Burstein, regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District Office, said, “The Equal Pay Act was the first federal anti-discrimination law enacted to end gender-based pay disparity. In the 60 years since its enactment, the EEOC remains committed to closing the gender wage gap by enforcing laws that require equal pay for men and women who perform the same jobs.”