The New York District Office of the EEOC brought this action in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, against Grief Brothers Corporation, an international manufacturer and distributor of industrial containers based in Ohio. The complaint, filed in July 2002, alleged sex discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; specifically that Defendant had subjected charging party to a hostile work environment and then constructively discharged him, based on his sex, male. In December 2003, Defendant filed for summary judgment, but the motion was denied in September 2004. EEOC v. Grief Brothers Corporation, 2004 WL 2202641 (W.D.N.Y.).

The parties entered into a consent decree in April 2006. The decree, valid for three years, required Defendant to pay a total of $100,000 to the charging party ($48,109.18 for back pay, $26,849.00 for lost medical benefits and $25,041.82 for non-pecuniary compensatory damages). Defendant was enjoined from discriminating or retaliating in violation of Title VII, and required to provide EEO training to its employees, post a notice of non-discrimination at its facility, provide the charging party with a neutral employment reference, and regularly report to the EEOC about its compliance with the decree. The docket sheet does not show any further enforcement; the case was presumably closed in 2009.

Shankar Viswanathan - 07/20/2007


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