The EEOC recenty annoucned that a federal jury in Georgia awarded $51,700 in back pay, compensatory and punitive damages to four family members who were fired for resisting sexual harassment at a Tucker, Ga., restaurant.
According to the lawsuit, a female waitress for Sangria’s Mexican Café, complained to her supervisor about sexual harassment including sexual advances, suggestive remarks, and inappropriate touching by a male cook at the restaurant. She also had three relatives who worked and they all reported the sexual harassment to Sangria’s’ owner on mulitple occasions. They alleged that nothing was done by the company to remedy the hostile work environment and instead Sangria’s terminated all of four family members in retaliation for reporting the harassment.
The jury awarded back pay in the amount of $4,000, as the plaintiffs’ mitigated their back pay damages by finding other employment after they were fired. The jury also awarded compensatory damages in the amount of $22,000 and punitive damages in the amount of $15,700.