Restaurant Sued for Hostile Environment for Male Workers

December 7, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued a North Carolina restaurant for subjecting male employees to a sexually hostile work environment and firing one of its male employees for complaining.

According to a press release, Huntersville Seafood, Inc. doing business as Captain’s Galley restaurant, in 2007 and 2008, subjected Peter Economos to sexual harassment by a male co-worker. The EEOC contends that on a daily or almost daily basis, the co-worker would inappropriately touch Economos or make obscene sexual gestures.   

The agency said Economos complained about the sexual harassment to the company’s owner on at least two occasions but that no action was taken to stop the misconduct. Rather, Captain’s Galley discharged Economos in retaliation for his complaints.  

The announcement said the complaint alleges that other male employees were subjected to a sexually hostile work environment at Captain’s Galley beginning in at least 2007.   

The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina ( Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Huntersville Seafood Inc., d/b/a Captain’s Galley, Civil Action No. 3:10-cv-00624) and seeks back pay for Economos, as well as compensatory and punitive damages for Economos and the other harassment victims.

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