Suit Accuses J. Crew of Male Gender Bias
The federal government has filed a class-action lawsuit against J. Crew Group Inc. and a subsidiary, alleging the retailer discriminates against men by refusing to hire them for certain jobs.
The case, which alleges civil rights violations, was brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in U.S. District Court in New Haven. The complaint was filed on behalf of George Mandell, 49, of West Haven, Conn., and an as-yet-unidentified group of male job applicants.
The lawsuit, filed last month, alleges a “pattern and practice” of discrimination against male applicants for customer service and assistant manager positions at service centers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Federal investigators allege that J. Crew subsidiary Popular Club Plan has not hired any men at its offices in New Haven; Springfield, Mass.; and Providence and Cranston, R.I., for a customer service or assistant manager position at least since January 1993.
J. Crew sells sportswear, footwear and accessories for men and women. Popular Club Plan is a service merchandising company that distributes mail-order goods.
A representative for New York-based J. Crew said company policy does not permit comment on pending litigation.
Mandell said that when he applied for a job performing clerical and customer service duties in December 1994 at a New Haven office of Popular Club Plan, he was told that he would not be hired because he is male.
“I was upset by it. . . . I don’t think that was the way to handle it. I knew right away that I wasn’t even getting an opportunity to be considered,” Mandell said in an interview.
The office manager told Mandell that the company’s regional manager had a policy to “avoid hiring males for customer service positions, since women related better with the female customers,” according to the lawsuit.
Mandell claimed he was told he would be more suitable for a stockroom position.
Although Mandell filled out a job application listing previous customer service and clerical experience, he was not granted an interview. Within two weeks, the business hired two women to be customer service representatives, the complaint alleged.
EEOC attorney Michael B. Ranis said a two-year investigation found other alleged victims, but he declined to disclose how many.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the company to stop the alleged discrimination; unspecified punitive, compensatory and general monetary damages; and back pay and legal fees.
