The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is charging that Polycon Industries Inc. and its parent, Crown Packaging International Inc., allegedly showed sex discrimination in its promotions.
EEOC filed suit May 13 in U.S. District Court in Hammond, Ind. It alleges Polycon and Crown Packaging, both located in Merrillville, Ind., failed or refused to promote female workers to higher-paying jobs.
The commission said female employees were not interviewed for promotions for which they had applied and the company discouraged them from seeking higher-paying jobs.
The agency is seeking back pay, and compensatory and punitive damages against the two companies. It also seeks a permanent injunction ordering the companies not to discriminate or retaliate against any employee for making a discrimination complaint.
“Here an entire class of women was denied fair opportunities to advance,” Laurie Young, regional lawyer for EEOC in Indianapolis, said in a news release.
Polycon did not respond to a request for comment.