• 04
  • November
    2011

The owner of a catering service and restaurant has settled out of court with the state's Division on Civil Rights, which filed a five-count complaint against the man in Superior Court. The man, who was accused of sexual harassment, must meet a set of specific requirements to avoid paying the full settlement amount.

The man allegedly subjected six female employees to inappropriate comments, unwelcome physical contact and offered to photograph them in the nude. The complaint also claims that the man fired one of the workers after she reported his conduct to her coworkers and police.

In California, and most other states, it is illegal to terminate a worker's employment in retaliation toward individual reporting sexual misconduct. The worker that was fired claims other employees also quit their jobs to escape the owner's harassment.

In order to avoid paying the full $60,000 balance listed on the settlement, the man must make a $15,000 payment to the state, which will be distributed to the workers.

Additionally, the owner must train all current and future employees on workplace harassment and discrimination, and he must implement formal policies aimed at preventing such behaviors.

The settlement also requires the man to develop a system to process discrimination complaints and provide the Division on Civil Rights with any such complaints each quarter.

With these complaints, he must also submit what actions he took in response and how each situation was ultimately resolved. If the owner meets these requirements for three years, he will be free of his obligation to pay the original $60,000 balance.

Source: Gloucester County Times, "Camden restaurant owners settles sexual harassment suit," Nov. 1, 2011