A Delaware-based company with a factory in Albertville is disputing allegations in a lawsuit filed this week by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The E.E.O.C. filed the complaint against Mueller Co. and South Carolina-based IH Services, contending the two companies violated federal law by subjecting female employees to a hostile work environment, and retaliating against them when they complained.

According to the suit, cleaning employees working for IH Services were subjected to unwanted sexual touching and harassment by Mueller employees, and – in one instance – an attempted rape.

Mueller, in a statement, denied the allegations.

“At Mueller, in accordance with our core values, we provide a supportive workplace free of harassment and discrimination,” the company stated.

“Accordingly, we maintain and enforce policies strictly prohibiting unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Due to the ongoing nature of the lawsuit filed by the EEOC in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama on May 1, 2023, we cannot comment on the case. As an equal employment opportunity employer, we vigorously dispute the allegations contained in the lawsuit and look forward to presenting our evidence and defense in federal court.”

IH Services has not commented on the suit, which stems from incidents that allegedly happened from about May of 2018 until late August 2020. The EEOC is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the victims, and injunctive relief against the companies.

Staffing agency IH Services assigned women to provide cleaning services at Mueller’s Albertville fire hydrant manufacturing plant.

According to the suit, several of Mueller’s male employees subjected at least three female IH Services employees to unwanted sexual touching and comments about their bodies and sex lives.

They also allegedly solicited the female cleaning crew for sex, asked to watch them have sex, exposed themselves and attempted to rape one of the female employees.

At least three women complained to several IH Services and Mueller managers, but the harassment continued, according to the suit. Instead, the women say IH Services retaliated against them, by reducing their hours, transferring them to undesirable shifts, suspending or firing them.

According to the EEOC, its Birmingham District office completed an investigation and first attempted to reach a settlement.