Sofidel America Corp., an international manufacturer of paper products with a plant in Inola, Oklahoma, will pay $80,000 and furnish other relief to settle a sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced.
According to the EEOC’s suit, Sofidel allowed a male employee to sexually harass a young female coworker for more than six months, including making lewd sexual comments and forcibly trying to kiss her. She complained to the company on June 6, 2023, but the harassment continued, the EEOC said.
Because Sofidel failed to protect her, the young woman obtained an Emergency Protective Order against the harasser from the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma, on July 7, 2023, and provided a copy of it to Sofidel on July 10. The next day, on July 11, Sofidel fired the young woman because she obtained the protective order, but allowed the harasser to remain employed.
This alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Sofidel America Corp., Case No. 4:24-cv-00462-JFJ) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.
Source: EEOC
Topics Lawsuits Oklahoma Manufacturing
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