In June 2004, the EEOC's Seattle office filed this complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington against Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc., a tool and equipment catalog retailer with stores in 36 states, alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically that defendant engaged in sexual harassment of female employees and retaliated against one by improperly discharging her. Three individual complainants intervened in the case in August 2004. A consent decree was agreed upon in October 2004 between the EEOC and the defendant and subsequently approved by the court. The intervenors dismissed their complaint in October 2004. The consent decree awarded $225,000 to the three complainants and enjoined the defendant from discriminating, harassing or retaliating in the future. The decree, which lasted three years, required the defendant to institute equal employment opportunity training, review and revise its EEO policies, expunge the complainants employment records, and provide certain regular reports to the EEOC.

Tony Friedman - 07/26/2007


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