Dallas Sex Discrimination Retaliation Lawsuit

In a September 16, 2009 Press Release, attorneys with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (”EEOC”) Dallas office announced that a Southlake, Texas commercial drywall and acoustics company will pay a female former employee $60,000.00 and furnish other relief to settle a sex discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the EEOC.  See, http://eeoc.gov/press/9-16-09b.html .  According to the Press Release, EEOC attorneys charged in the lawsuit that a female laborer was subjected to sexually explicit remarks and conduct for the duration of her employment, including being blatantly exposed to open urination in her presence and sexually offensive graffiti.  In addition, EEOC attorneys claimed that the laborer’s supervisors were aware of some of these incidents but failed to take corrective action and then fired her for complaining about the unlawful conduct.  Discrimination on the basis of sex violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace and retaliation for complaining about unlawful harassment.  In this regard, the EEOC is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including sex discrimination and retaliation for opposing unlawful sexual harassment.  An EEOC trial attorney quoted in the Press Release stated that “Employers must do their part to ensure that all their employees understand boundaries of decent and respectful behavior to avoid violating the law.”  Another attorney in the EEOC’s Dallas District Office added, “It really is not that complicated for an employer to get a handle on this; it is a simple matter of teaching respect.”  EEOC attorneys filed the discrimination lawsuit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement.  Further information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .