Republic Services to pay $200K in EEOC lawsuit

Allied Services LLC, which does business as Allied Waste Services of the Ozarks and Republic Services of the Ozarks, has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Jamie Mendoza in 2020 applied to work as a Republic Services garbage truck driver based out of Springfield, according to an EEOC news release. Republic Services allegedly told Mendoza that female drivers had not worked out in the past and that the company would have to build a locker room with a shower for female drivers if she were hired.

In its sex discrimination lawsuit, the EEOC alleged Mendoza indicated she wanted the job, but the company hired a less-qualified man for the position.

The EEOC lawsuit additionally alleged Republic Services has routinely failed to hire qualified female drivers because of their sex, according to the release.

Republic Services allegedly violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, EEOC officials say.

“When employers make hiring decisions based on sex, rather than qualifications, both the employer and the applicants suffer,” said Andrea G. Baran, regional attorney for the EEOC’s St. Louis district, in the release. "The EEOC is committed to enforcing the law to ensure that applicants are not shut out from particular jobs or industries because of their sex.”

Republic Services provided a statement to Springfield Business Journal.

“Republic Services of the Ozarks is committed to fair and respectful workplace practices that are free from discrimination,” the statement reads. “We emphatically deny any wrongdoing in this matter and chose to settle this case to avoid further litigation for all parties involved."