A Colorado-based McDonald’s restaurant will pay $505,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit by several female employees, including teenagers, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The target of the suit, a male supervisor, allegedly bit the breasts and grabbed the buttocks of at least one woman. The supervisor also made several sexual comments and offers of favors in exchange for sex, according to an EEOC report.
“The EEOC will vigorously prosecute claims of harassment, especially cases involving teenagers, many of whom are in the workplace for the first times,” said EEOC regional attorney Mary Jo O’Neil, according to a report by States News Service.
In addition to the monetary compensation, McDonald’s Durango-based restaurant must provide letters of apology to the victims and offer training on sex discrimination.
“Employers must recognize their responsibility to assure that young workers, one of the most vulnerable segments of the labor force, are not harassed at work,” said Chester Bailey, district director of the EEOC’s Phoenix office, according to States News Service. “That’s why the commission has a national initiative to address this important issue.”
The defendants in the case will pay two of the victims, and their Durango-based attorney, $450,000 for damages and attorney fees. An additional $55,000 will be paid to the two other members of the class suit, according to the EEOC.
