It’s illegal to refuse to hire men, even if you’re a sex store

The EEOC has sued Sactacular Holdings, LLC d/b/a Adam & Eve for sex discrimination for refusing to hire male applicants. What is Adam & Eve? The EEOC’s news release describes it as a “North Carolina limited liability company.” The more accurate description? According to its (NSFW) website, it’s “the leader in the lingerie and adult boutique market.”

How did it discriminate?

According to the EEOC’s complaint, Christopher Kilby applied for a job at Sactacular Holding LLC’s Adam & Eve store on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh, N.C. in August 2017. The complaint alleges that when Kilby later returned to check on the status of his application, a female salesperson told Kilby the company does not hire men for sales positions. In October 2017, Kilby visited the company’s Clayton, N.C. Adam & Eve store where a female salesperson confirmed to Kilby that the company does not hire men for sales positions, according to the complaint. The agency further alleges Sactacular Holdings LLC did not hire Kilby and other qualified male applicants based on its policy of not hiring men for sales positions.

True confession. I’ve never been in a sex store. So can someone enlighten me as to why it would not want to employ men to work as salespeople? What’s the defense here? How’s does one’s gender affect one’s ability to sell these items? I don’t see it, but maybe I’m missing something.

* Image by StockSnap from Pixabay