A federal judge has handed down a sweeping injunction in a sexual harassment case against one of the companies that provides wheelchair services at an airport in the United States. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requested the injunction because, even after paying out a $75,000 settlement to the victim, the company allegedly refused to implement any policies to prevent similar cases of sexual harassment from arising in the future. Indiana employees will find this story interesting.
This lawsuit was initiated by a man who alleged he was the victim of unwanted sexual advances from a female co-worker. The harassment allegedly began with sexually suggestive notes from the co-worker. The man’s wife had passed away just a year before the advances began, and he claimed he repeatedly made clear to the co-worker that he wasn’t interested. When the victim brought the notes to the attention of a supervisor, the supervisor allegedly did not take the issue seriously and did nothing to stop the harassment.
The victim claimed the harasser made lewd gestures and gave him a semi-nude photograph of herself. Other co-workers allegedly began making fun of the man’s sexuality, due to his strong rejection of the advances. According to the EEOC, the harassment didn’t end until the victim resigned.
Now, the company will have to implement policies to deal with sexual harassment complaints, implement annual training for all supervisors and take other action to prevent sexual harassment claims in the future. The company’s compliance with the injunction will be monitored by the EEOC.
Source: The Republic, “EEOC wins federal order against Vegas airport wheelchair services firm in man’s sex bias case,” July 27, 2012