A regional distributor tied to Coca-Cola is facing a federal lawsuit over a company-sponsored networking event that allegedly left male employees out of the room.
According to a complaint filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and obtained by The Associated Press, Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast is accused of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 after organizing a two-day professional event exclusively for women.
The gathering, which took place in September 2024 at the Mohegan Sun casino resort in Connecticut, reportedly brought together around 250 female employees for panels, networking, and career development programming.
The lawsuit was filed in New Hampshire on behalf of a male employee who claims he was denied access to the event because of his gender. The EEOC alleges that exclusion alone constitutes unlawful workplace discrimination.
“Excluding men from an employer-sponsored event is a Title VII violation that the EEOC will act to remedy through litigation when necessary,” said acting general counsel Catherine L. Eschbach in a statement announcing the case.
The agency also claims attendees received company-funded travel, accommodations, meals, and continued pay while being excused from their regular responsibilities. As a result, the lawsuit argues that male employees missed out on both tangible benefits and professional opportunities.
The EEOC is seeking financial damages for those impacted, citing “emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, [and] mental anguish” in addition to lost compensation.
Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, which operates independently while distributing Coca-Cola products across New England and parts of New York, pushed back in a statement.
The company said it was “disappointing” that the EEOC moved forward without completing a full investigation and added that it expects to “be vindicated” in court. It declined to address specific claims.
The event at the center of the lawsuit was promoted internally as the company’s first in-person Women’s Forum. A LinkedIn post described it as a space for discussions around career growth, work-life balance, and navigating industries where women are often underrepresented.
The case arrives amid a broader shift in how federal regulators are approaching workplace diversity efforts. The EEOC has recently increased scrutiny of programs tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including an ongoing investigation into Nike over similar concerns.