November 21, 2011

Louisville, Kentucky - A Kentucky-based company that processes credit card payments, has agreed to pay $365,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against it by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a statement released in the agency website said.

The lawsuit - which was filed at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Northern Division - claimed that company owner Pat Reed had sexually harassed a group of female employees, which the EEOC declared as quid pro quo sexual harassment – these are acts that ranged from sexual comments and touching up and including coerced sexual intercourse.

Based on the agreement, the company has agreed to a two-and-one-half-year consent decree and to pay $365,000 in compensation to 11 sexual harassment victims. Although the company filed for bankruptcy during the pendency of this lawsuit, its owner has pledged to create a sexual harassment policy prohibiting sexual harassment of employees and institute a training program for all employees concerning the requirements of Title VII’s prohibition of sexual harassment in the workplace.