Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Alabama KFC Owner Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit for $1 Million

An Alabama KFC owner has just agreed to pay $1 million to settle the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the company by the EEOC.

The EEOC filed the sexual harassment suit against Jack Marshall Foods Inc. last March 2009 in behalf of 19 former female employees.

According to the lawsuit, the family run business tolerated a workplace that allowed male employees to describe their sexual intentions to the female employees and perform unwanted touches and groping that were sexual in nature.

Three of the female workers involved were teenagers at the time.

In a press release, Jack Marshall Foods Inc said that the male cook in question was fired even before the lawsuit was filed.

They also said that they agreed to pay the settlement to avoid costly litigation and to protect the jobs of their other 400 employees.

The drawback to settlements of course is that the case never gets its day in court and the sexual harassment claim was neither proven nor discredited.

There will be no judgment on whether the company did what it can to prevent the sexual harassment or were they really negligent and tolerated that type of workplace?

However, it is also a win-win situation between the two sides.

The female workers get compensation while the company ends the case without having to go through a hearing where they may lose.