Employment Lawsuit: Monterey Gourmet Foods pays $535K to Settle Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Case

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Salinas, California – A leading producer and distributer of refrigerated gourmet products will pay $535,000 to four Latino employees to resolve a sexual harassment and retaliation suit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency reported Wednesday.

According to the EEOC lawsuit, Monterey Gourmet Foods, Inc. did not stop one of its male supervisors from sexually harassing three women and one man who worked as packers in the company’s production units in Salinas.

Since August 2006, the supervisor has taken adverse sexual advances, which include sexual jokes and comments, sending obscene photos, and making unwelcomed sexual gestures toward the four employees.

In 2008, two of the harassed employees filed a sexual harassment case with the EEOC, but they were later laid-off or discharged as a retaliatory action.

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace is illegal and punishable by federal and state laws.

“It is good to know that the law protects workers from that kind of treatment…” said the male employee who is in his 80’s.