Teenagers, Women Fight Harassment, Win Settlement

Scolari’s Warehouse Markets will pay $425,000 and furnish other relief to settle a class sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced this week.

The company's senior officers and managers harassed 19 female employees in repeated and sometimes severe sexual harassment across multiple stores in the Reno area, the EEOC charged.

Several of the victims were teenagers at the time.

The EEOC asserted that Scolari’s senior officers and managers inappropriately touched female employees, propositioned them, made lewd comments and passed around naked photos of themselves, among other acts. In addition, the EEOC charged that Scolari’s management failed to address and correct the unlawful conduct, even when the young women reported it. Instead, the company fired the women or forced them to abandon their jobs after they told the company about the harassment, according to the lawsuit.

All this alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the EEOC. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Nevada after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement (EEOC v. Scolari’s Warehouse Markets, CV 04-229 DAE - RAM). A consent decree setting forth the terms of the agreement was approved by the court on Sept. 5.

Scolari’s agreed to pay $425,000 to the employees identified by the EEOC to have been sexually harassed or retaliated against. Scolari’s further agreed to provide training to all employees, provide reports to the EEOC regarding its employment practices for a period of three years, and to hire a consultant to review its harassment policies and procedures.

Source: Scolari's to Pay $425,000 to Settle EEOC Sex Harassment and Retaliation Suit