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Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
A Tampa, Fla., federal jury has awarded $20.3 million to eight former employees of a travel agency in a sexual harassment and retaliation case, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.
However, because of $200,000 caps on compensatory, noneconomic and punitive damages under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the total award against Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Four Amigos Travel Inc. and Top Dog Travel Inc. was reduced to $7.1 million by the court, said Gregory L. McClinton, an EEOC senior trial attorney.
The jury award reflected compensatory damages, punitive damages and back pay.
The EEOC said Wednesday that travel agency owner Ronald Schlom and male managers working at the firm’s Largo, Fla., facility subjected female workers to daily “egregious sexual harassment” that resulted in “a work environment filled with sexual banter, abuse of power and outright disrespect for women.”
The EEOC said the company also fired a manager for bringing forth the victims’ complaints.
The company did not have an attorney represent it at the trial, Mr. McClinton said.
Mr. Schlom could not be reached for comment.