Warehouse Logistics Company to Pay $500,000 to Settle EEOC Sex Discrimination Charge

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Birchstone Management, a warehousing and logistics management company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, agreed to provide $55,000 to a female job applicant and $445,000 for a class settlement fund following an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC’s investigation found that Birchstone Management turned away a qualified worker seeking a job at the company’s Spokane Valley location as a pallet repairer solely because of her sex. The investigation also found that since at least May of 2020, the company had similarly rejected other qualified female applicants at this facility as well as in Amarillo and Houston, Texas; Lakewood, Washington; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Instead, the employer hired men with similar or fewer qualifications or continued to seek non-female applicants. In addition, the investigation found that the company failed to maintain employment records required by federal law.

“I showed up ready to demonstrate my ability to do the job, only to be told that the company only hires men,” said the applicant who filed the charge. “I hope this case helps employers stop labeling jobs as ‘women’s work’ or ‘men’s work.’ Everyone deserves a fair chance to show what they can do.”

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from treating applicants or employees unfavorably because of their sex. This statute also requires employers to keep all personnel or employment records for one year, or, when there is an open charge of employment discrimination, to maintain all records relating to the issues under investigation until the final disposition of the charge or any lawsuit filed based on the charge.

EEOC San Francisco District Director Christopher Green said, “We are glad to see Birchstone take these steps to ensure compliance with Title VII. This excellent result helps to dismantle sex-based stereotypes and illegal barriers to employment in favor of simply recruiting and hiring the most qualified and capable candidates for the job.”

Following the investigation, the parties engaged in the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation process, resulting in a settlement requiring Birchstone to provide back pay and compensatory damages to women denied hire based on their sex; appoint a qualified human resources professional to revise its hiring and recruitment policies and procedures and conduct training for all personnel involved in hiring at its locations in Amarillo, Houston, and Lakewood; post a notice concerning equal employment opportunity rights; audit recordkeeping practices annually; and report to the agency for two years.

The agreement provides for a claims process for individuals who may have been affected by the company’s hiring practices. Female job applicants for Birchstone Management pallet repairer positions who were not hired due to their sex between May 15, 2020 and July 31, 2025 in Spokane, Washington, Amarillo, Texas; Houston, Texas, Lakewood, Washington, or Las Vegas, Nevada, can complete a claim or obtain additional information by contacting the claims administrator at info@BirchstoneSettlement.com or by calling (877) 788-4952.

Individuals who need to contact the EEOC directly about the settlement or claims process can do so by contacting ClaimsSFDO@eeoc.gov.

For more information on sex-based discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sex-based-discrimination.

The EEOC’s San Francisco District has jurisdiction over Northern Nevada, Northern California, Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

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 also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.