In February 1998, the New York District Office of the EEOC filed this lawsuit against pharmaceutical firm Astra USA Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts alleging discrimination on the basis of sex and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We do not have a copy of the complaint; therefore, the exact allegations involved are unknown. However, it appears from the consent decree, summary and press release that the defendant was accused of permitting a sexually hostile work environment and retaliating against parties reporting or objecting to the behavior. Following some discovery, the parties settled the lawsuit in May 2001 through a consent decree.

The two-year decree, containing an agreement not to discriminate or retaliate, required the defendant to: report complaints and make other compliance reports to the EEOC, allow access to an outside consultant for monitoring, follow certain promotion protocols, post and distribute notice of employee rights, provide EEO training to managers, supervisors and sales representatives, and pay $9,850,000 to an unspecified number of only female complainants due to the scope of the complaint.

Daisy Manning - 04/21/2008


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