Trump Administration Labels Women’s Retreats As ‘Discriminatory’

The administration is suing a Coca-Cola distributor in New Hampshire alleging it discriminated against male employees by hosting a women-only networking event in 2024.

In the Trump administration’s latest lawsuit, the message is clear: women’s retreats are a form of discrimination.

The administration is suing a Coca-Cola distributor in New Hampshire for discriminating against male employees by hosting a women-only networking event in September 2024.

According to The Independent, this is the first lawsuit related to workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion in the second Trump administration.

Coca-Cola Beverages Northwest Inc., a Japanese-owned distributor of Coca-Cola and other soda products, hosted a networking event for 250 women employees in Connecticut between Sept. 10 and 11, 2024. The theme was “Embrace Your Authenticity.”

“Everyone could just kind of be free and talk about their struggles,” an unnamed employee told The Washington Post. “It’s very empowering for women to get in the same room.”

But now the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is accusing the company of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

“The unlawful employment practices complained of above were done with malice or reckless indifference to the federally protected rights of male employees,” the EEOC wrote in its complaint.

According to the EEOC, Coca-Cola Beverage Northeast Inc. damaged male employees by not offering the same opportunities that women received. However, the company is pushing back on these claims.

“Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast finds it disappointing that the EEOC did not conduct a full investigation,” Peter Bennett, a lawyer representing the company, told The Independent in a statement. “We look forward to having our day in open court when we can tell the full story and expect to be vindicated.”

Despite the lawsuit, white males continue to dominate in the workplace. White men secured 55% of new S&P 500 board seats in 2025, marking the first majority since 2017, the Los Angeles Times reported. Recruiters told the publication that the efforts to diversify these top roles are not a top priority amid the Trump administration’s fight against diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.