EEOC Sues DHL Supply Chain (USA) for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – DHL Supply Chain (USA), a leading supply chain logistics services provider in the United States, violated federal law when supervisors and managers at its Memphis site ignored complaints of sexual harassment and discouraged female associates from complaining about the abuse, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the lawsuit, a permanent female employee charged that while working for DHL she complained to three supervisors of sexual harassment by an operations manager and requested not to be left alone with him. None of the supervisors reported her complaints, as required by DHL’s harassment policy. Later, DHL fired her for alleged insubordination when she did not submit to the operations manager’s insistence on meeting with her one on one. Numerous other females confirmed that other males in the warehouse -- coworkers, leads and supervisors -- subjected them to harassment. Many other female associates complained, but DHL ignored their complaints. Some female employees voluntarily quit, according to the suit.

“Preventing and remedying systemic harassment in the workplace remains a priority of the EEOC under its Strategic Enforcement Plan,” said Delner Franklin-Thomas, director of the Memphis District Office. “Workers have the right to work in environments free from harassment and discrimination.”

The company’s alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (female) and retaliation. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. DHL Supply Chain (USA), Case No. 2:25-cv-02055) in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process. The lawsuit seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and injunctive relief designed to prevent such discrimination in the future.

For more information on sexual harassment in the workplace, please visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment. For more information on retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

The EEOC’s Memphis District Office has jurisdiction over Tennessee, Arkansas, and 17 counties in Northern Mississippi.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.