• 25
  • January
    2012

When sexual harassment exists for long periods, there are usually two possible causes. First, if the sexual harassment is not reported, managers may be unaware that the harassment exists. The other situation in which sexual harassment may continue for long periods of time exists when harassment is reported, but managers fail to take any action to stop the harassment.

Unfortunately, the latter is exactly what happened at one Italian restaurant chain. Although the chain does not have any branches in California, employees everywhere should be aware of the options they have if their managers fail to stop sexual harassment.

Sadly, this sexual harassment story is an example of the latter and includes a group of women, some of whom were teenagers. When the women did not receive the protection they needed from their manager, they worked with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to file a lawsuit against the restaurant. According to the lawsuit, the harassment has been occurring since 2005.

Male workers in the restaurant's kitchen repeatedly harassed a group of female employees. The men made crude comments and asked for sex. They even used "vegetables to simulate sodomy and to hit the victims between their legs."

Although several women repeated the harassment multiple times, the restaurant's management did nothing correct the problem, which is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

One attorney for the EEOC said, "Allowing serial harassers to victimize female employees without facing consequences is a clear violation of federal law. Managers must take swift action to stop this sort of abuse when they receive complaints of sexual harassment from their employees, especially when the complaints involve teenage employees who are in the work force for the first time."

The women won the lawsuit. They will receive monetary relief, and the restaurant must provide annual training to help ensure all employees understand exactly what behavior is considered unacceptable.

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Rafael's Italian Restaurant Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment Suit," Jan. 18, 2012