Aubusive Supervisor Harassment Lawsuit

Attorneys with the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) have settled a federal sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed against a farming company which operates dairy and egg production facilities in Oregon.  See, http://www.eeoc.gov/press/8-20-09a.html .  According to an EEOC Press Release, the company will pay $260,000.00 and provide remedial relief to settle a lawsuit in which EEOC attorneys charged that a male supervisor repeatedly grabbed, sought to forcibly undress and propositioned a female employee.  As stated in the Press Release, the harassment allegedly continued over many months despite the employee’s complaints to management, to the point where she began to fear for her physical safety.  The EEOC reportedly found that the company retaliated against the employee for reporting the harassment by isolating her from co-workers, forcing her to continue to work with the harasser and pressuring her to resign.  She ultimately quit.  In this regard, sexual harassment and retaliation violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the EEOC is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including sex discrimination and sexual harassment.  An EEOC attorney quoted in the Press Release said “This case involved a supervisor’s serious abuse of power over a female employee,” adding that “[e]mployers must take every report of harassment seriously.”  Further information about the EEOC is available in the agency’s website at www.eeoc.gov .