EEOC Sues Security Engineers, Inc. for Sex Discrimination

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Security Engineers, Inc., a Birmingham, Alabama-based company specializing in contract security services which operates in at least 14 states, violated federal law when it denied female applicants employment and job assignments because of their sex, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

The EEOC charged that since at least March 1, 2017, Security Engineers has discriminated against a nationwide class of qualified female applicants by refusing to hire or assign them to security officer positions because of their sex, despite many class members’ extensive experience in the private security industry or law enforcement. Security Engineers’ corporate officers and managers complied with clients’ discriminatory requests for male security officers, the agency alleges.

Such conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating based on sex. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (EEOC v. Security Engineers, Inc., Civil Action No. 2:23-cv-01213-AMM) after attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks monetary damages including back pay, compensatory damages and punitive damages for the class, as well as injunctive relief designed to prevent such unlawful conduct in the future.

“Denying jobs or assignments to women because of their sex or sex-based stereotypes is illegal,” said Marsha Rucker, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Birmingham District. “The EEOC will continue its efforts to eliminate discriminatory hiring barriers for women, including through litigation when necessary.”

Bradley Anderson, Director of the EEOC’s Birmingham District, added, “Employers would be wise not to rely on outdated and biased reasoning to deny women employment opportunities. To do so violates federal anti-discrimination law and may result in litigation.”

For more information on sex-based employment discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sex-based-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Birmingham District Office is charged with enforcing federal employment discrimination laws in Alabama, Mississippi (except for 17 northern counties), and the Florida Panhandle.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.