The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported last week that it settled a lawsuit that it had filed against a Sonic drive-in restaurant in Athens, Georgia. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia alleging that a female carhop was subjected to sexually charged comments, repeated sexual overtures and unwelcome touching from the store manager. The complaint alleged that as a result of the harassment, "the conditions of her employment were made so intolerable that she was forced to resign her position."
On April 15, 2010, after almost two years of litigation, the EEOC reported that the restaurant agreed to settle the lawsuit and sign a consent decree, agreeing to pay $70,000 and to implement equal opportunity training, reporting and postings at the work place.
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), sexual harassment is a type of discrimination that is based on sex. Requests for sexual favors, unwelcome sexual advances, verbal comments and physical conduct of a sexual nature may all constitute sexual harassment. Under Title VII, in order to be actionable the harassment must be unwelcome and must unreasonably interfere with a person's work performance.
If you have questions regarding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the laws prohibiting sexual harassment, contact the Law Offices of Santiago J. Padilla, P.A. as soon as possible. Based in Miami, Florida, we represent employers and employees throughout South Florida in employment cases. To set up a free initial consultation, you can contact us through the Internet or call us at (305) 358-1949.
