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Louisiana seafood restaurant facing sexual harassment lawsuit
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MINDEN, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — A Minden seafood restaurant faces a lawsuit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
According to a press release from the U.S. EEOC, officials say that Minden Seafood, LLC, violated federal law when it allegedly failed to stop a male worker from repeatedly sexually harassing a female employee and refused to rehire her after she quit.
The press release and lawsuit states that the female employee was a cashier at the restaurant. Allegedly a coworker repeatedly and persistently subjected her to unwelcome sexual advances, including making unwanted and inappropriate comments about her body, sexually propositioning her, and following her into a bathroom and exposing himself to her.
[The male employee] initial harassing behavior included looking [the female employee] up and down, commenting on her buttocks, telling her she looked good in leggings, and making other unwanted and inappropriate comments about her body.
EEOC v. Minden Seafood, LLC, Case No. 24-2360 excerpt
According to the lawsuit, the female employee complained to the restaurant owner, who allegedly allowed the harasser to continue working with the female employee.
The lawsuit states that the female employee found the conditions intolerable and she felt compelled to resign. She asked to return to work, but her request was denied. Such alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits sex discrimination, including sex-based harassment, constructive discharge and retaliation.
“Under Title VII, employers have a duty to protect their employees from sexual harassment at work,” said EEOC Field Director Michael Kirkland.
The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Minden Seafood, LLC, Case No. 24-2360) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.
“The EEOC will diligently investigate, and, if necessary, file suit against employers that violate the rights of their employees.” Elizabeth Owen, senior trial attorney for the New Orleans Field Office, said “Retaliation against harassment victims is unlawful. Protecting an individual’s right to oppose discrimination by reporting it in the workplace is an important part of the laws the EEOC enforces.”
The KTAL NBC 6 team reached out to Minden Seafood LLC and they did not respond to our request for comment.