Restaurant Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) lawyers charged in a sexual harassment lawsuit that a nationwide restaurant chain knew about and tolerated repeated sexual assaults against six male employees by a group of male kitchen staffers, according to a November 10, 2009 EEOC Press Release at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/11-10-09.cfm .  As stated in the Press Release, the restaurant chain will pay $345,000.00 and furnish other relief to settle the sexual harassment lawsuit in which allegations included claims that the men suffered sexually abusive behavior and were subjected to sexually charged comments, as well as offensive physical contact.  EEOC lawyers contended in the suit that complaints were made to virtually every manager at the restaurant, but they never put a stop to it and one victim finally had to call the police.  The company, however, denied the allegations.

Sexual harassment in the workplace violates 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.  EEOC lawyers filed the sexual harassment lawsuit against the restaurant chain after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement.  An EEOC lawyer quoted in the Press Release stated that “The evidence was claer, and everyone knew about it.” 

Whether employment related same sex sexual harassment occurs in Dallas, Galveston, or Houston restaurants, victims of workplace sexual harassment in the restaurant industry may contact the EEOC and a lawyer to determine if an employment discrimination lawsuit is ultimately appropriate under the particular circumstances and facts of the potential employment harassment claim.