• 12
  • August
    2011

In a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against a restaurant, a female employee who worked at one of their restaurants claims she was the victim of sexual harassment by her manager from October to December 2007. Similar sexual harassment cases have been reported in California.

The woman, who worked at the restaurant for five years, says that her manager not only exposed himself to her during work hours, but also called her at home, patted her buttocks, and tried to hug and kiss her at the restaurant.

The owner of the restaurant claims that all of these statements are false. He claims that the alleged victim became angry one day, quit her job and decided to make up a story to get money. He also said that the alleged victim is in her 60s, and he said he could not imagine anyone would sexually harass a woman of that age.

The woman was offered a settlement of $2,500, but has denied it, and expects to go to trial. The EEOC is filing a suit seeking back pay, along with compensatory and punitive damages. The EOCC says it has launched a full-scale, extensive investigation into the matter.

It has been three years since the alleged harassment of the woman and the lawsuit. Ordinarily, a charge against an employer has to be filed within 180 days of the harassment incident. The EOCC says that the current investigation and an attempt to settle can account for the lengthy amount of time between the harassment and the filing of the suit.

Source: Gaston Gazette, "Lawsuit claims restaurant manager pressured waitress for sex," Ragan Robinson, Aug. 2, 2011