---
title: "EEOC Required to Pay Employer Almost $2 Million in Legal Fees"
description: ""
url: "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/eeoc-pay-employer-legal-fees"
date: "2026-05-28T02:37:20+00:00"
language: "en-US"
---

#  EEOC Required to Pay Employer Almost $2 Million in Legal Fees

Written on November 27, 2017.

*Tag(s):* [EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id%5B0%5D=18:eeoc), [November 2017 Newsletter](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id%5B0%5D=119:november-2017-newsletter)

In September, a federal judge ruled that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") must pay an employer almost $2 million in legal fees for pursing class sexual harassment claims against a company that it knew or should have known were frivolous. *EEOC v. SRST Van Expedited, Inc.*, No. 07-CV-95 (N.D. Iowa, 9/22/17). The EEOC had claimed that the company had engaged in the pattern or practice of discrimination against female truck drivers and trainees who were sexually harassed. The judge making the award rejected the EEOC’s argument that claims against the employer did not have the sufficient "preclusive" effect on potential future legal action by the agency against the company for it to be deemed the prevailing party under Title VII. However, the judge did reduce a previous award from approximately $4.5 million because not all of the EEOC claims were deemed frivolous.

- [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Feeoc-pay-employer-legal-fees.md&text=)
- [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Feeoc-pay-employer-legal-fees.md)
- [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Feeoc-pay-employer-legal-fees.md)
- [](mailto:?subject=EEOC%20Required%20to%20Pay%20Employer%20Almost%20%242%20Million%20in%20Legal%20Fees)

##  Related Content

[ ![ai, human reach out](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f1/igor-omilaev-FHgWFzDDAOs-unsplash-f12346e8.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

###  [FCRA Litigation Challenges Employers’ Use of AI Hiring Platforms](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

[ ![Disparate Impact Theory webinar promo graphic](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/78/WimLaw-Webinar-Promo-Slide-7890eebf.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1581:disparate-impact-theory-discrimination&catid=221)

###  [Status of Disparate Impact Theory of Discrimination – Hiring Procedures Disproportionately Affecting One Racial or Sexual Group Over Another](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1581:disparate-impact-theory-discrimination&catid=221)

[Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221)

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1581:disparate-impact-theory-discrimination&catid=221)

[ ![staff](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/4e/duonguyen-RlakZ84ex2g-unsplash-4e75c670.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1576:developments-indemnity-staffing-agencies&catid=53)

###  [Developments in Use of Indemnity Agreements with Staffing Agencies](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1576:developments-indemnity-staffing-agencies&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1576:developments-indemnity-staffing-agencies&catid=53)

##  Get Email Updates

Receive newsletters and alerts directly in your email inbox. Sign up below.

##  Recent Content

 [ Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

 [ ![ai, human reach out](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f1/igor-omilaev-FHgWFzDDAOs-unsplash-f12346e8.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)###  [FCRA Litigation Challenges Employers’ Use of AI Hiring Platforms](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

A January 20, 2026, class action filed against Eightfold AI, Inc. in California is sending shockwaves through the employer and AI community…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

 [ ![danger sign, skull](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/01/mikael-seegen-jX6WXNkvsPs-unsplash-01c1ebef.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)###  [The Dangers of Employers Using AI Research Tools as to Discovery Requests from Plaintiffs](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

A second “bombshell” affecting HR pertaining to AI is a federal court ruling in New York, that a defendant’s use of AI in researching and p…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)

 [ ![CHAT GPT](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/64/emiliano-vittoriosi-fvxNerA8uk0-unsplash-64a16be4.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)###  [Two Subsequent Cases Protect Defendant’s Use of AI as Subject to Work-product Protection](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

Soon after the deciding of the above-discussed case on February 17, 2026, in U.S. v. Heppner, a criminal case in the District Court for the…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)

 [ ![avoid, wave away](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/6f/priscilla-du-preez-NQTphr4Pr60-unsplash-6fb4df83.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)###  [Is There Anything an Employer Can Do to Avoid Waiving Privileges in Using AI Research Tools?](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

There are no easy answers to the above question, but some general observations will nevertheless be made. First, the New York district cou…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)

 [ ![ai visualization](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/milad-fakurian-5yWtM3M3JKM-unsplash-45306e6d.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)###  [Suggestions on Use of AI](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

Perhaps the starting point is to look at the type of AI platforms generally available. At a recent conference about AI use for HR, speaker…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)

 [ ![june 2026 legal immigration webinar promo graphic](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/june-2026-webinar-immigration-453d45bc.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)###  [Worksite Enforcement and TPS and Parole Status Update](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)

[Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221)

The webinar will cover how to deal with a worksite enforcement action and various types of immigration enforcement activities. The webinar…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)

### Additional Legal Resources

[### Newsletter

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters)

[### Books

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/books)

[### Alerts

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/alerts)

[### Articles

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/articles)

[### Audits

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/audits)

[### Events

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/events)

## Schema

```json
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://wimlaw.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Publications", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Newsletters", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "EEOC Required to Pay Employer Almost $2 Million in Legal Fees", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/eeoc-pay-employer-legal-fees" } ] }
```