SETTLES CASE FOR UNDISCLOSED SUM
Columbia River Healthcare Inc -- a nursing facility based out of Vancouver, Washington, and which operates under the name of The Oaks of Timberline -- has agreed to settle a sex-based harassment claim brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Apparently, a supervisor “repeatedly and intentionally” referred to an employee with a pronoun that was “inconsistent with [that employee’s] gender identity.” And even though the impacted individual complained of the misconduct, the company failed to take appropriate action.
In the context of a pre-litigation resolution of the dispute, Columbia River agreed to pay monetary damages, and will modify its employment and training related practices, particularly as they relate to complaints of discrimination and harassment.
In a written statement, Elizabeth M. Cannon, director of the EEOC’s Seattle Field Office, noted that, “Accidental slip-ups may happen, but repeatedly and intentionally misgendering someone is a clear form of sex-based harassment …. Employers have a duty to intervene when employees—including transgender, non-binary, and other gender non-conforming individuals—are treated maliciously in the workplace because of their gender identity. Training can be a powerful tool for informing employees of their rights and proactively preventing harassment.”
Think Columbia River identified with that?
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