Meathead Movers settles age discrimination lawsuit. It will cost them millions
Meathead Movers will pay up to $6 million and commit to reviewing its hiring practices as it finally settles a longstanding age discrimination lawsuit with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to court documents filed this week.
After an expensive, nearly decade-long legal battle with the federal government, the CEO of the San Luis Obispo-based moving company — once known for its “student athlete” branding — said he’s eager to finally be able to move on.
“We are pleased to have resolved this case without any admission of wrongdoing, allowing us to return our full attention to what we do best: supporting our employees and serving our customers,” CEO Aaron Steed told The Tribune in a statement Tuesday. “We appreciate the new administration’s constructive approach in reaching this resolution, and we look forward to continuing to work productively and in good faith with the EEOC.”
“Since day one at Meathead Movers, we sought out to hire the very best moving teams, regardless of their age, gender, or anything else,” he continued. “We remain fully committed to building a workplace that reflects our values of hard work, integrity, giving back and growth.”
EEOC representatives did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment on the proposed settlement.
Why was SLO moving company accused of age discrimination?
Meathead Movers spans seven locations across California and markets itself as “the largest independent moving company” in the state.
The company was first notified in November 2017 that it was under investigation for alleged age discrimination in its recruitment and hiring practices.
A later lawsuit from the EEOC claimed the company failed to hire applicants over age 40 for its moving, packing and customer service positions — instead focusing its efforts on hiring young college students.
Over the years, Steed vehemently denied the agency’s allegations, saying the physical requirements of the company’s moving jobs just tended to attract younger applicants and there was “no evidence of discrimination.”
“I have no problem with someone over the age of 40 working for me,” he told The Tribune in May. “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 instead said the EEOC’s interest in his company was that of a “rogue federal agency.”
He even embarked on something of a social media campaign this year, in which he called out the agency and pushed for the Trump administration to take a look at his case.
“We’re going to be vindicated,” Steed said in May. “I’m not gonna quit.”
What were terms of settlement agreement?
Now, the lengthy fight appears to finally be at an end.
In a proposed consent decree submitted to the Central District of California court on Monday, Meathead Movers agreed to pay up to $6 million and submit to equal employment opportunity monitoring, new training and policy reviews to ensure the company did not partake in discriminatory practices.
A consent decree is a settlement agreement between parties that is submitted to the court and must be signed by a judge.
As part of the settlement, Meathead Movers agreed to establish a $4 million instatement fund “to hire workers covered under this consent decree into all open positions at Meathead,” according to court documents. That fund would be set up through $1 million payments each year for four years, according to the decree.
The moving company also committed to paying a gross sum of up to $2 million into a class fund that would be used to pay people over the age of 40 who may have been adversely impacted by the company’s discrimination, as identified by the EEOC. Depending on when the money is paid into the fund, the company could be required to pay as little as $1.39 million, according to the consent decree.
When asked for confirmation of those figures Tuesday, Steed said only that “the settlement is about agreeing to do what we’ve always said: give jobs to hardworking folks who want them, regardless of age.”
“The agreement includes a mix of commitments over several years, and the final amount will depend on a variety of factors,” he said.
Steed additionally said the company remains “committed to doing things the right way.”
“We’re always looking for ways to improve, and we’re committed to fair, inclusive hiring,” he said. “We’ve already made updates to our marketing and hiring materials, and we’ll continue to work with the monitor and the EEOC to ensure our practices are the best they can be. Our focus remains on hiring the most qualified people for the job, period, and we don’t anticipate any major changes that would be noticeable to our customers or applicants.”
The settlement is not set in stone just yet, as it is pending final approval from Judge Dale S. Fischer.
Meanwhile, Steed said the agreement represents an opportunity for the company to finally move forward.
“Resolving this case allows us to focus on our business and our people, and we’re optimistic about the future and my ability to focus on building again,” Steed said, adding the company would not disclose how much it spent in legal fees during the lawsuit. “As we move forward, we hope your readers and other members of the public will continue to support us by using Meathead Movers for their next move.”
This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM.
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