Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. ABM Industries Inc.

**EEOC v. ABM Industries: Court Allows Workers to Join Sex Discrimination Case** This case involved allegations of sex discrimination and retaliation at ABM Industries, a janitorial services company. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against the company, and several current and former employees wanted to join the case as additional plaintiffs to pursue their own claims. The court decided to allow eight workers—including Erika Morales and seven others who were permitted to remain anonymous—to join the EEOC's existing lawsuit. The judge granted these workers "intervention" rights, meaning they could become parties to the case and pursue their own claims alongside the federal agency's action. The court also allowed the workers to add claims under state law, though questions about whether some claims were filed too late would be decided later. Importantly, seven of the workers were allowed to keep their identities secret during the proceedings because they feared retaliation from their employer. This ruling matters for workers because it shows that employees can join federal discrimination cases even when they're afraid of employer retaliation. The court's willingness to protect workers' anonymity and let them pursue additional state law claims strengthens their ability to seek justice for workplace discrimination.