In August 2003, the Chicago Office of the EEOC filed this lawsuit against Hamilton Communications Group in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleging discrimination on the basis of sex and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the complaint alleged that the defendant subjected the charging parties, eleven female employees, to a sexually hostile work environment and retaliating against one charging party for opposing such practices, resulting in the constructive discharge at least one of the charging parties.

The one charging party intervened in the lawsuit in September 2003. Following some discovery an unsuccessful motion by the defendant to dismiss the case in October 2003, the parties settled the lawsuit through a consent decree in February 2005. The two-year decree, containing a non-discrimination and non-retaliation clause, required the defendant to: report on complaints and make other compliance reporting, keep records of complaints, allow the EEOC access for monitoring, post notice of employee rights, provide EEO training to all management employees, and pay $140,000 to be distributed among 11 complaining parties.

David Friedman - 12/08/2007


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