A federal judge ruled in favor of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in its gender discrimination lawsuit against a Louisiana staffing firm, the federal agency announced Monday. The EEOC had charged that Workplace Staffing Solutions LLC, which operates an office in Gulfport, Miss., violated federal law when it failed to hire six women for residential temporary trashcan collector positions in Harrison County, Miss., because of their gender.

Chief US District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. ordered Workplace Staffing to pay $179,000 in total monetary damages, according to the default judgment entered on July 7.

The EEOC initially filed suit against Workplace Staffing in October 2015, alleging the firm violated federal law in September 2012 by failing to hire at least 34 qualified women for temporary residential trashcan collector positions in Harrison County because of their gender.

The company failed to respond EEOC’s allegations after being served with notice of the lawsuit, and, as a result, the court found Workplace Staffing liable for discriminatory conduct and awarded monetary relief totaling $179,000, including punitive damages, compensatory damages and back pay, according to the EEOC

Workplace Staffing Solutions could not be reached for comment.

“Sex discrimination continues to be a barrier for women seeking employment,” said C. Emanuel Smith, regional attorney for EEOC’s Birmingham District office. “EEOC believes this is a significant problem for women who seek temporary employment through some staffing agencies. The law demands that women receive equal employment opportunities. Employers are not allowed to presume that women would not be interested in performing certain types of jobs. EEOC stands ready to stop these violations in court, if necessary.”

The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Workplace Staffing Solutions, L.L.C., Case No. 1:15cv360LG-RHW) in US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi after EEOC’s local office completed an investigation and the agency first attempted to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.