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Meathead Movers to pay millions to settle discrimination lawsuit

October 3, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo-based Meathead Movers agreed to pay up to $6 million to settle a federal lawsuit over its alleged recruitment of young workers at the exclusion of older workers, a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

Aaron Steed co-founded Meathead Movers with his brother Evan Steed in 1997. Aaron Steed has argued against the allegations, saying that Meathead Movers has employed individuals over 40 since its early days. He pointed to a football coach who worked for them even when most of the team were teenagers.

“Can you do the job or not?” has always been their primary focus, Aaron Steed said.

The settlement agreement, which resolves the disputes between the two parties without an admission of guilt or liability, was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court Central District of California. Meathead Movers agreed to pay up to $6 million dollars, which includes $4 million for a fund to be used over four years to hire workers and $2 million to pay monetary relief to eligible claimants.

The settlement also requires Meathead Movers to select a monitor to ensure Meathead Movers’ compliance with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the settlement agreement.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2023 filed a class action suit against the popular moving company for intentionally recruiting and hiring young college students while “excluding older workers regardless of their individual abilities.” Since at least 2017, “Meathead Movers failed to recruit and hire applicants over 40 into moving, packing and customer service positions.”

“Excluding older workers based on their age for marketing purposes is unlawful,” said Anna Park, regional attorney for the Los Angeles District Office. “Employers should remember that setting criteria and recruiting based on a person’s age violates federal law.”

With six offices in California, Meathead Movers currently employs more than 350 people, making it the largest independent moving company in the state.

 


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Just like the guy in the wheelchair who hit our local businesses with lawsuits, forcing them to close years ago. Private businesses should have the right who they choose to employ. Not the EEOC


31

They do have the right to choose who they employ as long as one of the reasons they choose NOT to employ them is because they are in a wheelchair. It’s not a complicated law.


-13

This is government extortion! Businesses are struggling to survive in California and this is the government making it even harder. There appears to have been no older individual who didn’t get a job they applied for so how did this complaint get started? It appears they singled out this business to attack! Pitiful!


55

There was more than likely MULTIPLE older individuals who applied and did not get hired and felt it was because of their age. They then sought legal representation where it was found that Meathead had a track record of such complaints. And their marketing campaigns sure didn’t help them. When their business first started I was studying employment law in college and I remember wondering to myself how they were getting around employment discrimination laws. Apparently they weren’t.


-14

Lawsuits against businesses are actually paid by the customer. Congrats EEOC, you just raised prices for us to move.


82

Yeah, as long as I can get my sh!#t cheaper I don’t care how it occurs.

Labor laws make stuff way more expensive than they need to be.

Safety rules are for wussies too. Slap some dirt on it and get back to work slackers. You can get by with 3 fingers.

Environmental laws, don’t get me started. Do you know how cheaper paint would be if the could just go back to dumping waste by products into the rivers. I am talking really cheap Juan. Oh, can we go back to using lead too. It lays such a smoothe line a few trades along the doesn’t hurt anybody.

And for that matter why can’t kids work in factories? Things would get a lot cheaper too if we could pay them in candy.

The. Good. Old. Days.


-23

You’re actively inviting businesses to take advantage of their customers and employees? …why?


-6

Is that a fact or are you making it up?


-5

What’s next police and fire, armed forces and the NFL? Wait, that’s why LA burned. Come on man.


17

Yep. Not-for-profit public service sector jobs and moving furniture – perfect comparison. But not as perfect as professional football with its multimillion-dollar performance-based contracts. We’re doing great here .. wait. What’s this about LA burning? Because of older workers?


-7

Once again, the only winners here are lawyers.


30

Tell that to a 50 or 60 year old American worker in the unemployment line, getting turned down for job after job after job – same jobs he or she used to walk right in and snag with ease – now unable to even get an interview in some cases.


-8

Why don’t they just follow the advice that Biden gave to the coal miners – “learn to code!”


4

Having been involved in a minor car accident that resulted in being sued a few days before the statute of limitations (2 years) kicked in, I know firsthand how our legal system is a huge, expensive joke. “Something for nothing” is the mantra these legal sharks work for. Have you seen the billboards “Accident? Call Big Joe Blow, Attorney At Law!” The claim against Meathead could have been settled very easily with arbitration, but NO, there was no money in that. It’s all a big joke, designed to milk your pocket, your insurers, and common sense and decency.


36

This is a discrimination lawsuit.


-13

You will own nothing & be happy . Pay sky high taxes, then get shaken down ! Disgusting Democrat’s at work .


29

Hey, if it makes you feel better, employers get away with age discrimination on a massive scale every day. It’s one of those things where it takes a HUGE amount of discrimination to bring forth a lawsuit. Ask anyone older who is out looking for work, or even discrimination ON the job. So yes, while Republicans are hell-bent on handing over what little power and rights we have over to people that already have everything, not to mention what’s in our pockets, Democrats continue to scrap for everything you and I still have. Unless you are one of those people that has everything. I know I’m not.


-13

Doesn’t the government have something better to do than harass a successful business?


28

That’s funny because if you watch the news that’s ALL our government does. Trump shakes down EVERYONE – from law firms to networks and everything in between. When a few geezers that can’t get a job to save their a**es get a little compensation, you go haywire.


-10

This is an abuse of the law and disgusting, the democRAT party.


79

Haven’t you heard the news? Republicans control every branch of what USED TO BE the law.


-84

Brilliant response. Typical leftist emotion overriding any potential common sense.


27

You’re not in favor of shaking down business owners for settlement money? What about TV networks? Law firms? Newspaper publishers?


-9

The democRTAS started this witch hunt while Obiden was the senile in charge, and in a democrat controlled state.


31

The witch hunt against moving companies?


-5

This is a bipartisan issue dude, pls stop being SO divisive. Employers taking advantage or being abusive of employees is something that affects everyone that has a job. How about being grateful there’s people that are watching out for you?


-9

Wow I actually agree with you on this that it is a bipartisan issue. Its also bi partisan because it started under the Biden administration and settled under the Trump administration. Divisiveness is what the politicians want and voters keep feeding into it.


4

Elections have consequences.


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