This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.
Amy Diehl is chief information officer at Wilson College, and a gender equity researcher, speaker and lawsuit expert witness. She is co-author of “Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work.”
As organizations scale back diversity, equity and inclusion efforts under political and social pressure, many assume they are reducing risk. In reality, they may be increasing it. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is continuing to enforce discrimination protections for women.
On July 22, 2026, EEOC announced a $2.6 million settlement with recycler TCI of Alabama for hiring only men for laborer positions, including directing staffing agencies to refer only male applicants while excluding qualified women. The case highlights a persistent reality: Antidiscrimination requirements remain in place.
This dynamic also recently played out at Ephraim McDowell Health. The chief executive officer allegedly favored a male candidate for a leadership role based on the belief that “men work better with men,” even though the woman who was passed over met the qualifications and the selected candidate did not. After she raised concerns with EEOC, EMH was reported to have retaliated by terminating her employment. The resulting EEOC lawsuit was resolved through a $335,000 settlement and compliance requirements.
