Assistant Manager Sexually Harassed Female Employees, Federal Agency Charges

RICHMOND, Va. - NAKI Corporation, d/b/a Daisy Dukes & Boots Saloon ("Daisy Dukes"), a country western dance bar and restaurant located in Chesterfield, Virginia,, violated federal law when it subjected female employees to a sexually hostile work environment, forcing them to resign, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed on Friday, Sept 28 the agency announced today.

According to EEOC's lawsuit, from at least September 2016 through June 2017, a male assistant manager of Daisy Dukes' Chesterfield, VA restaurant sexually harassed Michelle Henard and other female employees. The EEOC's complaint charged that the sexual harassment included sexual comments and touching by the manager. The manager groped Henard and other female employees, slapping and grabbing their buttocks, and propositioned them for sex. The EEOC alleges that Daisy Dukes reduced Henard's hours after she complained about the harassment, and that Henard quit her job because of the reduction in hours and due to Daisy Dukes' failure to stop the sexual harassment. Others sexually harassed by the manager also quit due to Daisy Dukes' inaction.

Such conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation against employees who complain about it. EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. NAKI Corporation, dba Daisy Dukes & Boots Saloon, Civil Action No. 3:18-cv-00667-JAG) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The agency seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the female employees, as well as injunctive relief to prevent any future discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

"The EEOC is committed to enforcing the law when employers tolerate this type of sexual harassment in the workplace," said Kara G. Haden, acting regional attorney for the agency's Charlotte District Office, whose jurisdiction includes much of the state of Virginia. "Employees should not be forced to tolerate sexual harassment in order to keep their jobs."