EEOC Sues Employment Staffing Agency ILM for Sex-Based Hiring Discrimination

California-Based  Firm Refused to Refer Women  For Jobs in  Tennessee, Federal Agency Charges

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A California-based private employment and  recruiting agency, Industrial Labor Management Group, Inc. (ILM), violated  federal law by refusing to refer or place qualified female applicants for  employment because of their gender, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity  Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the EEOC's suit, ILM provided temporary workers  for laborer and warehouse positions to a Shelbyville, Tenn., client, Manuli  Stretch, a film manufacturer.  In  response to an advertisement seeking employees to work at Manuli Stretch, Sherry  Brewer and other female appli­cants submitted online resumes and interviewed  with an ILM representative.  When Brewer  later called the ILM office to follow up on her resume and interview, ILM  informed her that the position with Manuli Stretch was only for men.  Despite having qualified female applicants,  ILM never referred any female applicants for employment at Manuli Stretch.  Instead, the EEOC said, it only referred male  applicants, some of whom did not meet the stated job qualifications. 

Gender-based discrimination  violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The EEOC filed suit, Civil Action No., 3:13-cv-01060,  in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville  Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement  through its conciliation process. The suit seeks monetary relief in the  form of back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, hiring relief and an  injunction against future discrimination.

"Employers simply cannot refuse to hire or refer applicants  based upon their gender," said Katharine Kores, district director of the EEOC's  Memphis District Office.  "Applicants  should be evaluated based solely upon their job-related qualifications." 

According to its website, www.theilmgroup.com, ILM Group caters to  organizations in diverse industries providing candidates for administrative,  manufacturing, logistics/warehouse and transportation positions.

Eliminating barriers in recruitment and hiring, especially  class-based recruitment and hiring practices that discriminate against racial,  ethnic and religious groups, older workers, women and people with disabilities,  is one of six national priorities identified by the EEOC's Strategic  Enforcement Plan.

The EEOC's Memphis District Office is responsible for  processing discrimination charges, administrative enforcement and conducts  agency litigation in Arkansas, Tennessee and portions of Mississippi.

 The EEOC enforces  federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about  the EEOC is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov.