Medical device maker to settle sexual harassment suit

A Massachusetts medical device manufacturer has agreed to pay $240,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which charged that a supervisor had engaged in sexual harassment of at least two female employees, one of whom was only 18 years old, the agency said Monday.

The EEOC alleged in its statement that the supervisor at Franklin, Massachusetts-based Tegra Medical LLC repeatedly made lewd comments to the women and other female employees and touched one woman inappropriately.

The agency said when one female employee complained about the supervisor’s conduct to the company’s human resources department, it did not act to end the harassment even though three other female employees had previously complained about his behavior. Instead, the EEOC said, a week later the company retaliated against the woman by denying her leave request to care for her son.

The EEOC said in another case where a female employee complained, it transferred her to a position where she was exposed to materials to which she was allergic.

The EEOC charged the company with violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act for 1964. Under the settlement agreement, in addition to paying $240,000 to the two women who alleged harassment and retaliation, the company must provide equal employment opportunity training to all its employees, with additional training to its human resources department, among other provisions.

A company spokesman could not be reached for comment.