Meathead Movers has fought age discrimination lawsuit for years. Now it has new tactic
When he received an unassuming notice from a federal agency in November 2017, Meathead Movers CEO Aaron Steed did not know the trouble that was about to arrive on his doorstep.
“We welcomed them in,” Steed said. “We had zero concern that we were doing anything wrong, and we believed that this whole thing was a misunderstanding and it would go away.”
Nearly a decade and $1.5 million in legal fees later, Steed is still embroiled in messy litigation with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which maintains Meathead Movers discriminated against older workers with its “student-athlete” messaging.
It’s requesting the business pay $15 million as a result.
Now Steed is turning to social media in hopes that he can get his case in front of “someone with power.”
“The EEOC is really trying to steamroll us, and I really hope that with your help you can help us bring light to this issue,” Steed said in a video posted to his personal Instagram on Feb. 20. “Follow me, share this story, share this video, share the articles that are out there. ... And bring light to this issue so the EEOC doesn’t destroy us in the dark.”
Steed, whose Instagram bio at that point read “being sued by the EEOC for absolutely nothing — gov’t overreach,” maintains that his company has never done anything wrong.
And he plans to get everyone to know it.
How SLO moving company grew from student project to statewide business
Meathead Movers was founded by brothers Aaron and Evan Steed in 1997.
As the story goes, it was a way to earn extra dough as students at San Luis Obispo High School. They charged $20 and a pizza — or whatever customers felt was appropriate — and soon had recruited a bevy of friends to assist in their moving.
Today, the business spans seven locations across California and markets itself as “the largest independent moving company” in the state. Over the years, it has also racked up an impressive array of small-business accolades, including numerous appearances on Inc. magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in the United States.
In 2011, the business was even recognized by the Obama administration as one of 100 companies that impact the economy and inspire young entrepreneurs to start their own businesses.
Then, just a few years later, the notice of an impending employment discrimination investigation flipped the entire company on its head.
Why is Meathead Movers being sued for age discrimination?
The Nov. 22, 2017, notice from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was relatively brief as far as federal documents go.
The two-page letter, which was provided to The Tribune by Steed, notified Meathead Movers that the commission was conducting an investigation into the business to determine its compliance with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.
The act “protects applicants and workers age 40 and over from age discrimination in recruitment, hiring, placement, discharge and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment,” according to the letter.
The notice didn’t include details of any complaints of discrimination.
A separate notice provided to The Tribune elaborated slightly upon the allegations against the business, saying the charge of employment discrimination had been filed against the company by the then-director of the Fresno office of the commission.
“The circumstances of the alleged discrimination are based on age, and involved issues of hiring, other, discharge and terms/conditions that are alleged to have occurred on or about Nov. 22, 2015, through Nov. 22, 2017, and may be continuing,” the notice read.
That kickstarted a years-long investigation into the company’s hiring practices, specifically its focus on predominately hiring “student athletes” and whether it discriminated against qualified employees over the age of 40.
In a letter dated Aug. 22, 2019, the commission notified the company that its investigation had concluded the evidence was “sufficient to establish violations” of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
In 2023, the commission followed that up with a lawsuit that claimed the company had failed to recruit and hire applicants over 40 for its moving, packing and customer service positions.
Instead, it said, the company’s branding and recruitment practices focused on hiring young college students and intentionally excluded people over the age of 40 from seeking employment at the business.
“The incorrect and unfair assumptions that someone cannot perform a job because of their age — or that clients would prefer younger workers — are the impetus behind the Age Discrimination in Employment Act,” the commission’s Los Angeles district director Christine Park-Gonzalez said in a September 2023 news release. “The EEOC will continue to ensure an even playing field for applicants and employees in the workplace.”
As part of the lawsuit, the commission sought a permanent injunction against the company to prevent it from discriminating by age in its hiring and marketing practices.
It also requested the company pay back pay and damages to “a class of qualified aggrieved individuals age 40 and over adversely affected by (Meathead Movers’) discrimination.”
That was estimated to be roughly $15,195 per class member, not including damages, according to court documents provided to The Tribune.
According to Steed’s attorney Lauren Brody, the commission previously estimated there would be about 500 class members who could seek back pay and damages, with the total cost to the company potentially reaching about $15 million.
In a posting on its website, the commission asked any individuals age 40 or older “who applied to Meathead and believe they were not hired because of their age” to contact the agency to determine whether they qualify as a class member.
Requests for comment from the commission about the lawsuit were not returned.
Discrimination lawsuit is example of ‘rogue federal agency,’ owner says
Throughout the entire process, Steed has maintained that his business did nothing untoward.
“They just got it all wrong,” he said. “We don’t discriminate against anybody. It just turns out that, you know, with our work standard where we require our employees to jog when not carrying anything in their hands — and they have to move furniture, you know, all day — the types of people who are typically interested in that tend to be a certain demographic.”
Steed said Meathead Movers is “happy and willing to hire people over the age of 40 if they can work up to the job standard.”
“I have no problem with someone over the age of 40 working for me,” he said. “In fact, if someone over the age of 40 years old can work up to the Meathead Movers standard, and they are agreeable to getting paid what we pay, please apply. Please apply.”
Steed said he feels the entire ordeal is an example of a “rogue federal agency” coming after a small business.
It is after all, unusual for the commission to initiate an investigation on its own, rather than a charge being brought by a member of the public.
According to the commission’s website, so-called “directed investigations” represent only about 1% of the agency’s charge volume each year. Cases that lead to lawsuits are even more rare, with only eight lawsuits based on a directed investigation being filed between 2014 and 2024.
Steed said because the case doesn’t hinge on any specific person’s claims of discrimination, it has been difficult to fight against the commission’s case — and it’s threatening the future of his company.
“There is no evidence of discrimination,” he said. “It’s just really disheartening that the EEOC is not, in my opinion, looking at the facts of the case. They’re trying to prove a narrative through litigation and it’s really scary, because it’s very expensive, you know? If it doesn’t stop, it could eventually bankrupt my company.”
Meathead Movers CEO turns to social media to fight discrimination claims
The lawsuit is currently making its way through preliminary court minutiae before it is scheduled to go to trial in 2026, Steed said.
But right now, Steed is hoping he can find a way to stop what has proven to be a lengthy and costly process for the company.
Soon after President Donald Trump took office in January, Steed took to his Instagram to post his first update on the litigation.
“It’s mind-boggling, it makes absolutely no sense to me and I truly hope it doesn’t happen to you or your small business,” Steed said in the video, which as of Friday had more than 600 likes. “However, there is hope. I really, really hope that there is someone in this new administration, in the White House, at the EEOC, that is willing to just take a fresh look at our case and help us find some sort of resolve.”
He’s since ramped up his online efforts, posting a slew of other videos to Instagram and X demanding attention to the lawsuit.
The company has also launched a Change.org petition urging people to stand with it “in a modern David versus Goliath scenario,” along with as a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for its legal fees.
As of Friday, the petition has received 1,160 verified signatures. The fundraiser had amassed $25,316 of its $500,000 goal.
Steed noted since he started speaking out about the issue online, he’s also been sent a cease-and-desist letter from the commission, “trying to censor me from speaking publicly about the lawsuit, which is a clear violation of my constitutional rights.”
Meanwhile, he’s enlisted the support of local business leaders to help advocate against the allegations.
In an April 21 letter from the Tri-County Chamber Alliance — which represents chambers of commerce in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties — 11 chamber directors and representatives voiced their support for Meathead Movers, calling the lawsuit “a shocking government shakedown by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the past 10 years.”
“The continued delays and the inability of the EEOC to work with the company on a resolution leads us to believe that the bureaucrats simply want Meathead Movers to fail and be forced out of business if they don’t meet their ransom demands,” the letter read. “It is our hope that the arrival of the Trump administration marks the end of the federal government being weaponized to attack and ruin small businesses and private individuals.”
As he continues to rally against what he ardently believes is an unjust attack on his beloved business, Steed said he knows he’ll eventually come out on top.
“We’re going to be vindicated,” Steed said. “I’m not gonna quit.”
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 2:30 PM.
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