As we know, gender discrimination and harassment draws a concern for not only the employed adults in the workplace but also for the minors. Nonetheless, these situations are critical should be properly treated by high-level authority, but according to a recent case filed by the EEOC against Texas Roadhouse Restaurants, that was not so.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, a manager of a restaurant in Columbus had harassed women and even teen girls working in the front-of-the-house positions. The underlying issue is that although the incidents were reported to high-level authority, they were not addressed. It was not until video surveillance providing evidence of the harassment taking place on one high school girl that action was taken.

Therefore, for months the harassed teenager could only rely on her manager to fix the situation.  The problem was the manager was the individual responsible for the harassment.  Ultimately, the employees had the courage to go to the EEOC to file a charge of discrimination and pursue their legal rights.

As a result of the employees' decision to stand up for themselves, the company was required to provide 1.4 million in monetary relief to the harassment victims. Additionally, the company cannot rehire the offending manager. To better ensure that these offensive acts do not occur in the future, the decree also requires that the company must provide training to all employees on discrimination and retaliation. You can read more on this matter here.

If you are a victim of sexual harassment, do not be afraid to report the offender. It is your right to work in a safe environment. If you decide you want to take action against retaliation, our attorneys at Thorpe & Thorpe, P.A. will work to protect your rights.