EEOC Sues Okla. Dealer for Refusing to Hire Female Salesperson

ST. LOUIS — Landers Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Norman, Okla., violated federal law when it refused to hire a female salesperson, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged in a lawsuit filed last week.

According to the suit, Landers bought an existing car dealership, David Stanley Chrysler, in 2017. After the purchase, Landers hired all the David Stanley sales staff except one, the sole female salesperson — despite her successful sales record and previous customer service award. At the time, a Landers executive told another manager, “This is not a lady’s job yet.”

“Federal law has guaranteed equal employment opportunity for women for over 50 years, but some employers still say, ‘not yet.’”

EEOC officials say the salesperson’s civil rights were violated. They are seeking monetary damages, training on anti-discrimination laws, posting of anti-discrimination notices at the worksite, and other injunctive relief.

“Federal law has guaranteed equal employment opportunity for women for over 50 years, but some employers still say, ‘not yet,’” said Andrea G. Baran, the EEOC’s regional attorney in St. Louis. “We are committed to ensuring that the millions of women who work in male-dominated industries every day are judged solely on their abilities, not their gender.”

L. Jack Vasquez, Jr. director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District Office, added, “Making hiring decisions based on sex is not only unlawful, it’s bad business. We encourage workers who encounter discrimination in hiring to report that information to the EEOC.”

Read: EEOC Hits Dealer With Gender Discrimination Suit