MINNEAPOLIS — A north metro construction company refused to hire or assign work to women, Black people and anyone over 40 years old, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
TKO Construction Services, headquartered in Coon Rapids, provides temporary employees for commercial, residential, heavy industrial and energy construction companies nationwide.
The lawsuit alleges that a recruiter who worked for TKO in July 2018 had been told by other employees that the company did not hire women for construction jobs, Black people in certain areas and individuals over 40 years old because “some clients do not want them.”
The recruiter is said to have then spoken with TKO’s president, who confirmed the practice. The recruiter was forced to resign, refusing to comply with the company’s hiring practices.
The EEOC claims that TKO’s actions resulted in women being referred to fewer hours and receiving less pay than men, as well as Black workers receiving fewer hours and less pay than white workers.
The alleged conduct by TKO violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made it unlawful to discriminate against employees due to sex or race, according to the EEOC. It also violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits discrimination against employees 40 and older.
The EEOC says it filed the lawsuit after attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
WCCO has reached out to TKO Construction for comment.
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