Harassment Complaint Retaliation

In a May 27, 2009 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) Press Release, the federal agency announced that a New York drug store chain will pay $240,000.00 and furnish other substantial relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in which the EEOC alleged that the company unlawfully created, maintained and failed to remedy a hostile work environment by subjecting several female employees to sex and pregnancy harassment.  See, http://www.eeoc.gov/press/5-27-09.html .  According to the Press Release, the EEOC charged that a store manager frequently made vulgar comments about women’s private parts, sexually propositioned female employees, made lewd remarks about their pregnancies and bodies, assigned unfavorable job duties to pregnant employees and repeatedly grabbed female employees, including grabbing their buttocks.  Further, the EEOC said, the employees who complained and filed discrimination charges with the agency were retaliated against by being subjected to further harassment by their supervisors.  An EEOC trial attorney was quoted in the Press Release as saying that “Employers have a duty to maintain a work environment that is free from sexual harassment and retaliation - it’s really that simple.”

Harassment because of a person’s sex or due to her pregnancy and retaliation for complaining about it violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.  Further information about the EEOC is available in the federal agency’s website located at www.eeoc.gov . 

Whether workplace harassment, discrimination and retaliation occurs in Amarillo, Dallas, Houston or elsewhere, victims of unlawful employer harassment or retaliation may contact the EEOC and an attorney to determine if a hostile work environment and retaliation lawsuit may ultimately be appropriate under the particular circumstances and facts of the potential harassment claim.