An employee of a luxury goods company has made allegations against the company’s CEO, claiming that he sexually harassed her. The employee alleges that the sexual harassment began in September 2004. The conduct included trying to get her to perform sexual acts, rearranging her schedule so that she was forced to work with him, and repeatedly grabbing her. The suit seeks unspecified damages of $80 Million dollars.
Duane Reade Inc., the well-known drug store chain that operates over 200 stores in the New York area, will pay $240,000 and furnish other substantial relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
According the lawsuit, Duane Reade unlawfully created, maintained and failed to remedy a hostile work environment at one of its Bronx Stores by subjecting several female employees to sexual and pregnancy harassment. The lawsuit claimed that the store manager, Madiaw Diaw, frequently made vulgar remarks about women’s private parts, sexually propositioned female employees, made lewd comments about their pregnancies and bodies, assigned unfavorable job duties to pregnant employees, and repeatedly grabbed female employees, including grabbing their buttocks. Moreover, employees who complained and filed discrimination charges with the EEOC were retaliated against by being subjected to further harassment by their supervisors.
“This settlement achieves the EEOC’s objectives by providing appropriate relief to the victims of sexual harassment while implementing appropriate measures to prevent this kind of violation in the future,” said Spencer H. Lewis, director of the EEOC’s New York district office. The EEOC sought both money damages as well as improvements in training and other policies.
