The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed lawsuits against two companies, alleging that both failed to protect teenage workers from sexual harassment, fostering hostile work environments. The lawsuits target an Applebee’s franchise in Alabama and a gymnastics facility in Mississippi, where the EEOC claims young employees faced inappropriate behavior and inadequate management responses.
The EEOC filed the first lawsuit, EEOC v. Quality Restaurant Concepts, LLC (Case No. 2:24-cv-1331), in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The case centers on an Applebee’s franchise in Chelsea, Alabama, where six female employees, including teenagers, were allegedly subjected to ongoing sexual harassment by the male general manager, other male employees, and customers. The EEOC contends that since April 2023, these employees faced sexual comments, unwanted advances, and inappropriate physical contact.
The lawsuit further claims that despite complaints, the company failed to take action, allowing the general manager, who had a prior history of harassment, to continue working closely with female employees. One 16-year-old employee who reported harassment from a 38-year-old bartender was reprimanded by management and later barred from working as a server. At least two employees left their positions due to the workplace environment.
“Many of the employees in this case are teenagers who were new to the workplace and unfamiliar with their rights.”
Marsha Rucker, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Birmingham District, emphasized the vulnerability of young workers, stating, “Many of the employees in this case are teenagers who were new to the workplace and unfamiliar with their rights. The EEOC will continue to hold employers accountable when they fail to protect workers from a sexually hostile work environment.”
The second lawsuit, EEOC v. Intrepid Gymnastics, LLC (Case No. 3:24-cv-0310), was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. This case involves a gymnastics training facility accused of allowing pervasive sexual harassment of teenage coaches and employees. According to the lawsuit, the company’s president and majority owner repeatedly engaged in inappropriate behavior, including making sexual advances, offering money for sex, and sending sexually explicit text messages to female employees, many of whom were under 20 years old.
The EEOC alleges that Intrepid Gymnastics failed to provide its young employees with a clear harassment policy or a designated process for reporting harassment.
“Sexual harassment of young employees, regardless of the industry, is a serious problem,” said Edmond Sims, Jr., acting district director of the EEOC’s Memphis District Office. He noted that addressing these issues remains a priority for the agency.
Both lawsuits claim violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace. The EEOC pursued legal action after attempts to resolve the disputes through its administrative conciliation process were unsuccessful.
In fiscal year 2023, the EEOC reported more than 7,700 sexual harassment charges, the highest number in over a decade, representing a nearly 25% increase from the previous year. The EEOC has recently updated its Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace, providing examples and addressing online harassment.
For more information on sexual harassment and retaliation, visit the EEOC’s pages on sexual harassment and retaliation. Information on educating youth about workplace rights is available on the Youth@Work initiative.
The EEOC is tasked with enforcing federal laws that prohibit workplace discrimination. More details are available at www.eeoc.gov.
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