Yesterday, the EEOC announced that
it had resolved a sexual harassment lawsuit it filed almost a year ago against Wal-Mart Stores East, L.P in federal court in Akron concerning the sexual harassment and
termination of an intellectually disabled employee. According to the EEOC, Wal-Mart violated Title
VII when a co-worker sexually harassed the eleven-year employee of an Akron
store for several years with the
knowledge of management. The disabled
employee was fired shortly after she finally complained to management. The settlement payment consists of $295K in
compensatory damages (just under the 1991 Civil Rights Act cap) and full back
pay.
The settlement also requires
Wal-Mart to provide sexual harassment training to its managers and human
resources managers at that Akron store. “The
training will include instruction on how to prevent the sexual harassment of
intellectually disabled employees, including by working with job coaches and
vocational counselors who interact with Wal-Mart on behalf of such employees.
Also as part of the settlement, the company must post a notice in the workplace
explaining employee rights and employer obligations under Title VII, and it
must submit reports to the EEOC during regular intervals throughout the
decree's three-year duration.”
NOTICE: This summary is designed merely to inform and
alert you of recent legal developments. It does not constitute legal advice and
does not apply to any particular situation because different facts could lead
to different results. Information here can change or be amended without notice.
Readers should not act upon this information without legal advice. If you have
any questions about anything you have read, you should consult with or retain
an employment attorney.
