Walmart News: Retail Giant Likely Discriminated Against 178 Female Employees Based On Their Gender

Walmart has limited some gun sales over the years after mass shootings but avoided halting them altogether AFP / Frederic J. BROWN

Memos from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) cited by the Wall Street Journal in a report Tuesday reveal that Walmart has likely discriminated against 178 women at stores in over 30 states. The memos allege that the retail giant paid less to the women or denied them promotions due to their gender.

The EEOC documents urge Walmart to change its practices and reach settlements with the women who filed complaints. The EEOC could file a lawsuit of its own against Walmart if the company doesn't sufficiently address the matter.

In February, more than 100 women filed a lawsuit against Walmart over gender discrimination, with some of the complaints dating back to the 1990s and 2000s.

One of the 100 women in the lawsuit, Lisa Youman, alleged that in 2001 that a male employee with less retail experience was chosen over her to become store manager at a Walmart location in Tallahassee, Florida. She was allegedly told she wasn't chosen for the promotion because she was a woman and that she wouldn't have the strength to move furniture, which was part of the job.

In 2001, a Walmart greeter named Betty Dukes claimed that she was denied training she needed for a promotion despite six years of experience at the company and stellar performance reviews. She sued the company on behalf of herself and others who were "similarly situated," as 72% of Walmart's sales workforce at the time were women.

Her case, Walmart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, reached the Supreme Court, with the court ruling in 2011 in favor of Walmart, saying Dukes and the 1.5 million women she represents are not certified as a valid class of plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit.

Major U.S. corporations are increasingly becoming targets of sexual harassment and gender discrimination cases, which could be a result of the #metoo movement. In May, women employees at fast-food giant McDonald's claimed in a lawsuit that they faced sexual harassment at locations across the country.

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