The San Francisco District Office filed this Title VII action against two auto dealerships in Solano County, California, alleging that they harassed seven former employees based on their religion (Muslim), color (dark skin), and national origin (Afghanistan). The suit also alleged that the defendants constructively discharged one of the employees and retaliated against four others by terminating them after they complained about the harassment. Defendants are part of a network of 13 dealerships owned by the same person. The verbal harassment directed at the male Afghani/Muslim employees by defendant's high-level managers and subordinate employees included derogatory names and offensive comments such as "fucking Afghani," "the bin Laden gang," "sand niggers," "terrorists," and "camel jockeys." One manager frequently vocalized his dislike of Muslims and Afghanis, implied that all Muslims should be killed, and made anti-Muslim comments to a female Muslim employee regarding that religion's treatment of Muslim women. When another Muslim female was hired, the same manager commented that there were "too many dark faces" in the room. The Afghani employees complained to their superiors, which included an office manager, supervisor, and dealership owner, but their complaints were ignored. Pursuant to a three-year consent decree, defendant dealerships will pay $550,000 in damages to the seven former employees. Defendants also will use an outside consultant to implement complaint procedures and to enforce the dealerships' revised EEO and antiharassment policies, specifically regarding national origin and religious harassment and retaliation. Detailed reports regarding harassment complaints and resolutions will be submitted to the EEOC biannually.
The Phoenix District Office filed this Title VII action, alleging that defendant gas companies created a hostile work environment for CP, a 20-year-old female gas station cashier, when they failed to discipline her immediate supervisor, a 47-year-old manager, who sexually harassed and raped her. The complaint further alleged that defendants retaliated against CP for complaining about the harassment, which led to her termination or constructive discharge. Six months after CP began employment with defendants, the gas station manager inappropriately touched CP on her breasts and body over her objections. Soon thereafter, he summoned her to his office located at a separate facility, and when she arrived he requested oral sex and then raped her when she refused. CP filed an internal complaint with defendants and requested a job transfer to another location. Defendants agreed to the transfer but after CP moved, they did not return her calls or assign her to a position at the new location. After three months of unreturned calls, CP obtained another job. The case was resolved by a two-year consent decree that requires defendants to pay $180,000 to CP ($120,000 of which is payable over a 5-year period and secured by a mortgage lien on defendants' real property).
The Memphis District Office filed this Title VII action, alleging that a travel center in Cookeville, Tennessee discriminated against a maintenance employee on the basis of religion (Messianic Christian) when it discharged him for refusing to shave his beard, which he wore as part of his religious practices. Defendant's general manager had hired CP and reasonably accommodated him by permitting him to wear his beard despite the company's "no-beard" policy. However, when defendant's regional manager discovered CP working with a beard, he directed the general manager to fire him. The case was resolved by a one-year consent decree that requires defendant to pay $62,400 to CP. Defendant is enjoined from engaging in religious discrimination and retaliation. Defendant also must distribute a policy statement regarding reasonable accommodation of religious beliefs to all of its general managers employed in Tennessee and to all the regional managers to whom they report. The managers are to sign statements certifying that they received and read the document.
The San Francisco District Office filed this Title VII action, alleging that 13 Hispanic seasonal laborers (11 women and 2 men) who worked during the cherry packing season at a California agricultural packing house (PF), were subjected to a barrage of verbal harassment based on national origin (Mexican and Salvadoran) and/or gender (female) by a manager-owner of the PF facility. The complaint also alleged that PF failed to take appropriate action to stop the harassment of the workers, one of whom worked directly for PF, the others for laborer contractors. On a daily basis, the manager made abusive comments to the Hispanic employees such as "Mexicans aren't worth shit," "Mexicans are lazy," and "Mexican bitches are only good to go to the bathroom and fuck men." Although the laborers complained about the harassment to management, they were told to ignore the manager's behavior. In accordance with a five-year consent decree, PF will pay $235,000 in compensatory damages to the 13 workers; revise its nondiscrimination policies to discuss gender and national origin discrimination/ harassment and incorporate alternative routes in its complaint procedures; and make these policies and procedures available in English and Spanish and distribute them to all PF employees and to the supervisory personnel of each farm labor contractor. Using an outside consultant, PF also will provide training on gender and national origin discrimination to all employees who are responsible for supervising or managing its employees or for interacting with the labor contractor supervisors. On a quarterly basis, PF must notify EEOC counsel of whether it has received discrimination or harassment complaints and their resolutions.
This page was last modified on June 16, 2004.