ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a lawsuit Nov. 4 against El Chaparo Inc. over allegations one of its male owners sexually harassed four female servers at the company's Tex-Mex restaurant in Greensboro, Georgia.
El Chaparro’s general manager and co-owner allegedly showed the four servers images and videos that contained sexual images, talked about their sex lives, and showed them photos of himself shirtless. When the servers complained to the restaurant’s other co-owner, the co-owner and company purportedly failed to take action.
Alleged conduct of this nature violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans employers from sex-based discrimination including sexual harassment. The EEOC seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the four servers as well as injunctive relief for the prevention of future discrimination.
"Sexual harassment in the restaurant industry is a form of misconduct that, unfortunately, EEOC sees regularly," said Bernice Williams-Kimbrough, district director for EEOC's Atlanta District Office.
"The fact that it was a proprietor of the restaurant who allegedly subjected the four servers to sexual harassment makes the conduct even more intolerable."