BNSF Railway Sued for Sexual Harassment at Nebraska Railyard

A federal lawsuit alleges women working at a Nebraska railyard were subjected to sexual harassment and managers failed to do anything about it, in violation of federal law.

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF), a major North American freight transportation company, violated federal law by subjecting female employees at its Alliance, Nebraska, railyard to a sexually hostile work environment, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to the lawsuit, female workers at the facility were subjected to an almost daily barrage of harassing conduct and comments from male coworkers and supervisors.

The alleged treatment, which has been ongoing for many years, included sexual and derogatory comments, slurs, graffiti, and sexually suggestive and nude photos of women.

When female employees complained about the harassment, company supervisors allegedly brushed it off, sometimes laughing or telling the women, “welcome to the railroad.”

The suit alleges BNSF, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, failed to take any action to meaningfully address the problem.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. The EEOC’s suit, filed in U.S. District Court for Nebraska (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. BNSF Railway Co., Civil Action No. 8:21-cv-00369), alleges BNSF violated Title VII by failing to take reasonable steps to combat sexual harassment at its Alliance railyard.

The EEOC seeks monetary relief for female employees affected by the harassment, an order prohibiting future sexual harassment, and other relief.

Topics Lawsuits