Federal officials say the two managers of a Long John Silver’s restaurant in Illinois sexually harassed one of their teenage employees and retaliated against her when she said no.
In a federal proceeding filed by the U.S. Equality Employment Opportunity Commission, two adult men made “sneaky comments” to a girl, touched her without consent, suggested sex, and were “sexually explicit.” I was accused of sending a “text message and video”.
And when the teen claimed that Long John Silver refused Investigate her sexual harassmentAccording to a March 17 news release from EEOC, she opposed and said her time was shortened in retaliation.
Fast food companies are now agreeing to pay $ 200,000 to former Centralia employees as part of the resolution of a federal proceeding. The proceedings were filed on June 25, after authorities stated that Long John Silver had refused a pre-litigation settlement as part of the mediation process.
“We commend the young women’s courage to come out earlier to report this harassment,” said Gregory Goshanur, regional attorney at EEOC’s Chicago District Office, in a release. “A woman should not be forced to work in this kind of environment, and her willingness to go out in front of her helped protect other vulnerable young women from receiving the same treatment. . “
In a statement to McClutch News, a Long John Silver’s spokesman said the company “has a deep interest in employee safety and well-being.”
“Our policies, procedures and training programs are designed to protect our employees. We do not tolerate any kind of harassment,” said a statement on March 18. “We were very disappointed to find the allegations that led to this reconciliation. We have worked closely with the EEOC and local crew to investigate and take corrective action.
“The employees involved in this issue are no longer part of the organization. In addition, we have stepped up workplace safety training with a particular focus on harassment, diversity and inclusion throughout the company. We adhere to our commitment to provide a safe workplace for all. “
The company has 190 seafood restaurants nationwide.
In resolving the proceedings, Long John Silvers also agreed to the harassment prevention policy and training on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation. According to the news release, the company must also post a notice of settlement and report sexist complaints to EEOC on a regular basis for two years.
“EEOC is working to address sexual harassment in the food service industry, especially if the victim is a vulnerable worker like a teenager targeted in this case,” said Julian Bowman, Chicago District Director. Said. “EEOC hopes that the incident will serve as a warning to employers to monitor workplace harassment and respond appropriately to complaints.”
Centralia is about 270 miles southwest of Chicago.