On March 31, 2005, the Phoenix and Salt Lake City offices of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit under Title VII against Dee's Family Restaurants in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. The EEOC alleged that the defendants had violated the rights of a class of female employees by subjecting them to a hostile work environment, wherein they were sexually harassed by male employees.

On May 20, 2005, three of the complaintants filed a motion to intervene as plaintiffs in the case. On August 18, 2005, the parties filed a consent decree, which the district court adopted four days later. Under the terms of the decree, defendants were ordered to pay complaintants a total of $60,000 in damages within 15 days of the entry of the consent decree. This sum would be divided among the complaintants and their attorney in an unspecified manner. In addition, within 3 months of the decree, defendant was required to hold annual 2-hour training seminars on the avoidance of employment discrimination. Six months after the decree was adopted by the district court, and at the end of the same year, the defendants were required to report to the EEOC by sending a copy of the revised employee handbook, as well as the identity and contact information for any person against whom an allegation of employment discrimination had been made. They were also required to send the EEOC a list of all persons who had signed the roll of attendance at the employment discrimination seminars.

Kristen Sagar - 02/14/2008


compress summary