New York, Nevada IHOPs settle sex harassment lawsuit
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Several International House of Pancakes LLC franchisees in Nevada and New York have agreed to pay $700,000 to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit charging sexual harassment and retaliation.
The EEOC said Wednesday that IHOP owners, supervisors, managers and co-workers at nine franchisees subjected female employees to ongoing egregious sexual harassment in Nevada and New York locations, including groping, sending pictures of male genitalia, propositions for sex, viewing of pornography, vulgar comments and unwanted touching and kissing.
It said instead of taking corrective action when the victims complained they retaliated against them, including by reducing their work hours and firing them.
The EEOC said also that since 2005, these franchisees had in place a written sexual harassment policy that required complaints to be made to the corporate office in writing within 72 hours of the harassing incident.
The EEOC said this deterred harassment victims from reporting it, removed the responsibility of local managers and supervisors to correct harassment that they were aware of, and emboldened the abusers.
The franchisees were charged with violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In addition to paying the $700,000, they will eliminate the 72-hour policy, among other settlement provisions.
“Sex harassment remains a persistent problem and placing impediments on the ability of employees to complain only exacerbates the problem,” said Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles district, which includes Nevada in its jurisdiction, in a statement.
The franchisees’ attorney had no comment.
In July, two Illinois IHOP franchisees agreed to pay $975,000 to settle a systemic sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the EEOC in which they were charged with harassing female employees, including teenagers, and a male employee.
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IHOP settles systemic sexual harassment lawsuit for $975,000
Two Illinois International House of Pancakes L.L.C. franchisees will pay $975,000 to settle a systemic sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in which they were charged with harassing female employees, including teenagers, and a male employee.
