EEOC Sues Coca-Cola Distributor For ‘Reverse Discrimination’ Over Women-Only Work Event

The lawsuit is against a distributor for Coca-Cola owned by a Japanese company.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued a Coca-Cola distributor over a work event for women employees.

Filed Feb. 17, the lawsuit claims that Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast violated federal legislation by hosting an event for 250 female employees in September 2024. The EEOC deemed the Connecticut networking event an act of sex discrimination, as it excluded men from attending, prompting the agency to take legal action.

However, Coca-Cola itself is not a plaintiff in the case, as the direct issue lies with its distributor. According to The Guardian, Japanese-based Kirin Holdings owns the company in question.

The lawsuit notably comes at a time of anti-DEI measures launched under the Trump administration. Since beginning his second term, President Trump has scaled up measures and policies that severely limit, if not outright prohibit, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

While establishing this new order at the federal level, Trump-governed agencies are cracking down on corporations that still host DEI workplace initiatives.

At the dawn of the anti-DEI movement, events or initiatives that exclude any group, even to highlight the inclusion of historically underrepresented demographics, now contribute to “reverse discrimination.”

This case also serves as a landmark, becoming the first EEOC lawsuit to declare a DEI-affirming event unlawful.

The lawsuit indicates that Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast allowed the women employees to skip work without using paid time off to attend the two-day event. The team-building event included a social reception and recreational activities, with a top Coca-Cola executive as a speaker. The distributor also covered all attendees’ hotel charges.

In light of its findings, the EEOC has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring no groups receive preferential treatment, even to promote a more inclusive workplace.

“The EEOC remains committed to ensuring that all employees – men and women alike – enjoy equal access to all aspects of their employment,” wrote EEOC’s principal deputy general counsel, Catherine Eschbach, in a statement.