Why has the federal government spent nearly a decade targeting a successful moving company for “age discrimination,” when lifting heavy furniture is literally part of the job? And why did the government demand a $15 million fine, then launch an unprecedented lawsuit on its own, apparently without actual complaints to back up its case? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) wants to keep it a secret, but that’s against the law. So now the Goldwater Institute is suing the EEOC to get those answers and hold the government accountable.
In 2017, the EEOC began an investigation into Meathead Movers, a California-based, family-owned company. Now the EEOC is pursuing an extremely rare “agency-initiated” lawsuit against the company; only a handful are brought this way every year.
In March, the Goldwater Institute filed a public records request demanding answers: Were any complaints filed? Has the EEOC taken similar action against other companies? The agency refused to hand over any of that basic information, citing privacy concerns. But privacy is for individuals. Transparency is for the government. And the Institute is not seeking any information that involves personal privacy. Because the EEOC has refused to release the information as required by law, the Institute has sued the agency in federal court.
Meathead Movers, and the more than 300 people it employs, is the American Dream. Founded in 1997 as a small, family-run operation, it has grown into California’s largest independently owned moving company. Its success is built on a culture of hard work, personal responsibility, and exceptional customer service — symbolized by its practice of employees jogging to and from the truck when not carrying furniture. Along the way, the company has given countless workers the opportunity to develop strong job skills and a solid work ethic.
The EEOC has accused Meathead Movers of “age discrimination” in its hiring practices and marketing materials. On its face, the allegation is absurd. Moving companies, by their nature, require individuals who can safely lift and carry heavy objects for long periods of time. Naturally, younger individuals may be more physically equipped to perform these tasks, but that does not mean Meathead Movers has discriminated against anyone capable of doing the job. On the contrary, the company has employed, and continues to employ, workers of all ages.
Noticeably absent from the government’s attack against Meathead Movers are actual complaints filed by real people. Instead, it appears the EEOC has a vendetta against Meathead Movers.
That’s why the Goldwater Institute has sought to learn why the EEOC has picked Meathead Movers for its wrath and to expose just how damaging this type of action is. The government shouldn’t be in the business of destroying successful companies absent any actual complaints.
But more than being a government action that defies common sense, this case also raises serious questions about the weaponization of government. If the government can randomly pick a company to investigate and prosecute, publicize that prosecution, but then refuse to hand over any information to the public as required by federal law, then any company can be next.
The American public deserves to know why the EEOC is pursuing what appears to be a baseless attack against a model small business. Because the agency has refused to disclose public information about a matter of public concern, the Institute is going to court to compel disclosure in accordance with federal law.
The Goldwater Institute will continue to demand transparency from our government, here and in every case where accountability is lacking. When federal agencies go after American citizens based on allegations that defy common sense, Goldwater will fight to uncover the truth and ensure the public has the facts it needs to hold its government accountable.
You can read the complaint here.
Adam Shelton is a Staff Attorney at the Goldwater Institute’s Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation.
