SETTLES SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS FOR $200,000
Tres Hijas Berry Farms, based out of California, was sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for failing to adequately investigate and respond to sexual harassment allegations.
Among other things, workers complained of a supervisor’s “repeated, frequent and offensive sex-based remarks and unwelcome physical touching.” Not only did they reportedly fail to investigate complaints, but they allegedly retaliated against those who voiced objections.
Believing that such conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Tres Hijas Berry Farms, LLC, Case No. 2:22-cv-01919-MWF-Ex) in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.
In addition to a recently announced $200,000 payment, the company agreed to modify its employment related policies and practices and will remain subject to the court’s jurisdiction for a 3-year period.
By way of a written statement, Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, noted that, “Sexual harassment continues to be an ongoing problem in the agricultural industry, where workers may be isolated from each other based upon location or language …. The EEOC will continue to prioritize these cases. Employers in the agricultural industry must start recognizing these ongoing issues and make drastic changes in order to create safe and harassment free workplaces for their employees.”
Did they sow the wrong seeds at that farm?
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