ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that, in order to resolve alleged sexual harassment, Sirdah Enterprises Inc. will pay $250,000.
Sirdah Enterprises, doing business as Taboo 2 Bar & Bistro in Roswell, Georgia, is currently going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, so the court judgment will be distributed in accordance with the bankruptcy process.
The EEOC alleges that the employer failed to stop six female servers from enduring repeated acts of sexual harassment by a manager. According to the claims, the harassment occurred throughout the servers’ employment, happening daily for some. Additionally, servers were assigned to less profitable sections of the restaurant if they refused sexual advances, the lawsuit states. The female employees told management officials, but the officials allegedly did nothing to stop the harassment. Five of the women were forced to quit, the agency alleges.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating employees on the basis of their gender.
The company, along with the monetary relief, will provide provisions for equal opportunity training and reporting.
"EEOC is pleased that the company has agreed to settle this matter and implement policies and procedures that are conducive to a work environment free of sexual harassment," Robert Dawkins, regional attorney for the agency's Atlanta District Office, said. "It is imperative that employers take seriously their responsibility to prevent sexual harassment from occurring and put an end to sexual harassment once they become aware of it."