MIAMI (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced Vacation Resorts International (VRI) will pay $125,000 and furnish other relief to resolve allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation.
EEOC charged that VRI, a provider of management and marketing services to resorts, condominiums and timeshares, violated federal law by allowing a manager of one of its resorts to sexually harass an employee. Claims further allege the company fired her when she resisted and reported the harassment.
"[The plaintiff’s] courage and resilience, along with VRI's willingness to take EEOC's allegations seriously, produced a settlement that provides some compensation for the egregious sexual harassment and retaliation she endured, and helps prevent her former coworkers from being subjected to the same illegal treatment, " said Daniel Seltzer, EEOC's lead trial attorney in the case.
The consent decree that settles the suit mandates VRI must provide sexual harassment and retaliation training to all of its employees at the Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort.
"This settlement should send a clear message to the hospitality industry: The law will not tolerate subjecting female workers to sexual harassment,” said Robert E. Weisberg, regional attorney for EEOC's Miami District Office. “It is not enough to have an anti-discrimination policy; employers must work hard to ensure that such policies are enforced."
Sexual harassment and retaliation for complaining violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.