TACOMA, Wash.—Two hotel groups have agreed to pay $365,000 to settle a harassment lawsuit brought by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in connection with the alleged actions of a general manager who worked for two hotels in the state of Washington.

According to a statement issued by the EEOC on Thursday, the unidentified general manager of the Best Western Evergreen Inn in Federal Way, Wash., and the Best Western Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash., “persistently harassed and denigrated women, including those who were minorities and had strong religious beliefs, in violation of the federal law.” Court papers identify the general manager as Syed Ahmed.

The EEOC said female employees were subjected to the constant use of racial slurs and derogatory sex-based and racial comments.

Among other incidents cited in the EEOC statement, the general manager threw a stapler at one employee, and told another she was nothing but a welfare mother and should abort her pregnancy.

Under the settlement agreement, the companies that owned the hotels, Federal Way, Wash.-based Pacific Hospitality L.L.C., and Tacoma, Wash.-based Seasons Hotel L.L.C., will pay a total of $365,000 to 11 victims. The EEOC also will monitor the hotels' compliance with the decree's other terms, which includes an agreement that they immediately fire the general manager.

“Federal law protects employees from this type of degrading mistreatment,” said EEOC San Francisco District Office Regional Attorney William R. Tamayo in a statement.

James C. Fowler, a partner with law firm Vandeberg, Johnson & Gandara L.L.P. in Seattle, who represented the hotels, said, “The allegations in the lawsuit were directed against one manager,” who has now been terminated. “There were no allegations of any wrongdoing against any of the owners.”

“The owners have stepped in and are doing the management work themselves to make sure there are no problems of any sort like those that allegedly occurred,” Mr. Fowler said.

“We’re glad to have this over with, and we’re quite certain there is not ever going to be anything of the sort that ever occurs again,” he said.