In September 2006, the Houston District Office of the EEOC filed this lawsuit against National Vision, Inc., doing business as The Vision Center, and Mr. S J Charendoff in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas alleging discrimination on the basis of gender, female, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the complaint alleged the defendants subjected the complaining parties to a sexually hostile work environment. The complaining parties intervened in the lawsuit in October 2006. Following discovery, a successful motion for summary judgment by Mr. Charendoff and a pending motion for summary judgment by National Vision, Inc., the remaining parties settled the lawsuit in November 2007 through a consent decree.

The three-year decree, containing anti-discrimination and retaliation paragraphs, requires the defendant to: report on complaints and make other compliance reports, keep records, expunge the employment records of the complainants, provide the complainants with neutral references, post and distribute notice of employee rights, provide EEO training, require certain actions to be taken by Mr. Charendoff, and pay $175,000 to be distributed among four individuals.

Daisy Manning - 05/06/2008


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