Coca-Cola sued by federal agency over work event that excluded men

Coca-Cola is being sued for alleged sexual discrimination over a corporate networking event that excluded men, announced the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed the lawsuit, Wednesday.

Why it matters: This is the first lawsuit related to workplace diversity that the federal agency in charge of enforcing anti-discrimination laws at work has filed during President Trump's second term.

Driving the news: Coca-Cola Northeast "violated federal law" when it held a two-day employer-sponsored trip and networking event in Connecticut that invited women only in September 2024, EEOC alleges.

• "Coca-Cola Northeast privately invited female employees and then excused the female employees who attended the event from their normal work duties," EEOC alleged in a Wednesday statement.
• The drinks giant "paid them their normal salary or wages without requiring them to use vacation or other paid time off" during the retreat, according to the civil rights agency, which alleges the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• "Coca-Cola Northeast did not invite any male employees to the event."
• Representatives for Coca-Cola did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

State of play: The lawsuit that the EEOC's Boston-area office initiated against Coca-Cola Northeast, which is headquartered in Bedford, New Hampshire, comes as the agency investigates Nike for allegedly discriminating against white workers.

• EEOC is also investigating Northwestern Mutual Insurance after a male employee alleged that "he was denied advancement on the basis of his sex, race, color and national origin and in retaliation for complaining about" the insurer's diversity policy, per a statement from the agency.
• EEOC chair Andrea Lucas last year requested 20 law firms provide more details on their diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

Context: Trump signed an executive order soon after taking office again last year that targeted DEI practices and revoked a decades-old EO that was designed to give equal opportunity to people of color and women in the workplace.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.