San Antonio Discrimination Lawsuit

Attorneys with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) announced in a July 29, 2009 EEOC Press Release that the federal agency settled a sex discrimination lawsuit against Houston based Luby’s Restaurants Limited Partnership, doing business as Luby’s San Antonio #19 (Luby’s), for $135,000.00 and significant remedial relief on behalf of a class of female workers who were allegedly subjected to a pervasive sexually hostile work environment for years.  According to the EEOC Press Release, the sexual harassment lawsuit charged the restaurant business with subjecting female employees, including a teenager, to a sexually hostile work environment at a San Antonio location.  More specifically, the EEOC stated that the women were subjected to, among other things, repeated unwelcome sexual touching, numerous sexual comments, as well as gestures and innuendo and that the harassment also included a work atmosphere permeated with lewd and sexually offensive behavior, including restraining one woman in the employee’s restroom while requesting sexual favors from her.  As stated in the EEOC Press Release, one of the female employees was forced to quit her job because of the restaurant’s failure to take appropriate action.  See, http://www.eeoc.gov/press/7-29-09a.html .  A Senior EEOC Trial Attorney in the agency’s San Antonio Field Office stated as follows in the Press Release: “Employees have a legal right to work in an environment that is free from sexual harassment [and] upon notification of a complaint of sexual harassment, employers must do whatever is needed to correct the behavior of the offending employee and prevent further harassment.”  Another attorney quoted in the Press Release added that “Every employer has a duty to protect its workforce from harassment.”

In this regard, the EEOC is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.  Sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which also prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin, and protects employees who complain about such offenses from retaliation.  Further information about the EEOC may be found in the agency’s website at www.eeoc.gov .   Whether workplace harassment and discrimination occurs in Houston, San Antonio or elsewhere, victims of employment related sex harassment and discrimination may contact the EEOC to make a charge of employment discrimination.