Coca-Cola bottler sued over its women-only office event

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast for alleged sex discrimination after the company held a women-only networking retreat in Connecticut in 2024.

The agency filed the case in New Hampshire federal court on Tuesday, alleging that the distributor and bottler violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by excluding male employees from the two-day employer-sponsored event.

Coca-Cola is not named as a defendant. EEOC’s Acting General Counsel Catherine Eschbach said federal law requires equal access to workplace opportunities.

The case marks the first workplace diversity lawsuit filed during President Donald Trump’s second term, as his administration moves to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.