Sexual Harassment Case Jury Award

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including employment related sexual harassment.  In a November Press Release at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/11-23-09.cfm , agency attorneys announced that a federal jury in Milwaukee returned a $105,000 verdict following a four-day sexual harassment trial in a sexual harassment case brought by the EEOC.  According to the EEOC Press Release, the jury’s verdict awarded an aggregate of $5,000 to two teeenagers who worked at a Racine, Wisconsin restaurant where they were allegedly subjected to sexual propositions, groping and hair-pulling by an assistant manager.  As stated in the Press Release, the jury also found that the restaurant acted recklessly with respect to one of the workers and awarded her $100,000 in punitive damages.  The EEOC said that punitive damages may be awarded by juries to punish such conduct and to discourage it in the future.  Further information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .