LeachGarner to Pay $2.8 Million in EEOC Pay Discrimination Suit

BOSTON - LeachGarner, Inc., a metallurgical manufacturer and supplier, will pay $2.8 million and provide other relief to settle a federal sex discrimination lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.

The EEOC's lawsuit alleged that for years LeachGarner routinely assigned female manufacturing employees at its Attleboro, Massachusetts facility to lower paying jobs. Manufacturing positions were held nearly exclusively by men and paid more than those held by women, even though the male dominated positions required no prior experience and they involved similar work. LeachGarner also told staffing agencies that it preferred men for certain vacancies, the suit alleged.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act (EPA), both of which prohibit discrimination based on sex. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. LeachGarner d/b/a LeachGarner, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, Case No. 23-cv-11014) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

"Pay discrimination against women continues to be a problem in some parts of the economy, and eliminating sex-based discrimination remains a priority for the EEOC," said Kimberly Cruz, regional attorney of the EEOC's New York District. "We appreciate LeachGarner's agreement to resolve this litigation and take steps to prevent unlawful pay discrimination going forward."

Catherine L. Eschbach, acting EEOC general counsel said, "The EEOC is committed to ensuring that all workers are evaluated on the basis of merit, have equal opportunity to compete for good jobs, and are paid based on their work and not their sex."

In addition to providing monetary relief to affected employees, the three-year decree requires LeachGarner to evaluate its existing hiring, job assignment, and compensation practices, take steps to ensure that these practices promote equal employment opportunity in the workplace, are based on legitimate, job-related criteria, and periodically report to the EEOC on those efforts. The company will also ensure that its internal policies require equal pay for equal work and will annually train employees on their rights under Title VII and the EPA.

Arlean Nieto, the acting director of the EEOC's New York District, said, "Title VII and the EPA require equal pay for equal work. All employers should take steps to ensure that they are allowing men and women an equal chance to earn good wages."

For more information on equal pay and compensation discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination . For more information on sex-based discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sex-based-discrimination .

The EEOC's New York District Office has jurisdiction over Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, northern New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .