Dairy Queen Will Pay $17,500 to Settle Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Suit Filed by the EEOC

A North Carolina Dairy Queen franchise will pay $17,500 and furnish remedial relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed against the franchise by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

A North Carolina Dairy Queen franchise will pay $17,500 and furnish remedial relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed against the franchise by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  The EEOC alleged that from late March 2009 to August 2009, a Dairy Queen employee, Chastity Hill-Cox, was sexually harassed by a male co-worker.    

The EEOC alleged the following: Hill-Cox complained about the harassment to her manager, but the harassment did not stop.  On one occasion, while Hill-Cox was working, her mother called the police and reported the harassment.  While the police were at the restaurant responding to the complaint, the manager fired Hill-Cox because he said she was causing too many problems for Dairy Queen.

In addition to paying Hill-Cox $17,500, the franchise will redistribute its policy prohibiting sexual harassment and retaliation to managers and conduct anti-discrimination trainings with them. 

The Employment Law Group® law firm has an extensive discrimination practice and has broad experience fighting for the rights of employees who have been victims of discrimination and retaliation by their employers.