$582k Settlement in Hostile Work Environment/Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Suffolk Laundry

In the case of E.E.O.C. v. Suffolk Laundry Servs., Inc., No. 12-cv-409 (E.D.N.Y.), the parties recently entered into a Consent Decree resolving the matter. (I previously wrote about this case.)

The Consent Decree (here, with exhibits and below), which will remain in effect for three years from its date of entry, provides various forms of relief, including but not limited to a payment of a total sum of $582,000 to the claimants and intervenor plaintiffs and a disciplinary warning to [alleged harasser Rajindra] Singh “documenting that complaints of sexual harassment involving inappropriate comments and touching were made against him.”

The facts of this case, in brief (from the Decree):

EEOC alleged that Defendant created and maintained a sexually hostile work environment by allowing a manager [Rajindra Singh] to physically and verbally sexually harass female laundry workers. The manager touched the employees on their hands, faces, hips, waists, shoulders, and/or backs, made comments about their appearance and body parts, conditioned requests for time off or for machine repairs with demands that the women kiss him or sit on his lap, and forcibly kissed one of the Claimants and touched her buttocks and other private areas. EEOC also alleged that Defendants retaliated against the Claimants after they objected to the harassment, filed EEOC charges, or participated in the EEOC investigation, by unlawfully terminating them, reducing their work hours, and/or altering their work assignments and other terms, conditions, and privileges of their employment.

(For more details, you can read the court’s decision denying defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment on the hostile work environment claims and plaintiffs complaint.)

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