The EEOC had charged that New York-based Guardsmark discriminated against Danielle R. Jones and other female security guards in its Houston office because of their sex. According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Civil Action No. 4:09cv3062), Guardsmark engaged in gender-based discrimination by succumbing to customer preference for male security guards and reassigning the women to inconvenient, lesser-paying security guard posts.

In addition to the monetary payments, the consent decree signed by U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr. requires Guardsmark to provide managerial and supervisory employees at its Greater Houston branch office with mandatory training on federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment; to post a notice at its Greater Houston branch stating Guardsmark’s commitment to prevent all workplace discrimination and retaliation; and to submit reports to the EEOC detailing its compliance with the decree.