COURT AWARDS $175,674 JUDGMENT IN EEOC SEXUAL HARASSMENT SUIT AGAINST ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR

PRESS RELEASE
7-24-09

Women Were Abused by T&D Electric's Co-Owner/President, Agency Charged

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The U.S. District Court in the Middle District of North Carolina has ordered electrical contractor T&D Electric Company of Burlington, N.C., to pay $175,674 to two female employees who were subjected to sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.

The EEOC had charged in its lawsuit (EEOC v. T&D Electric Company of Burlington, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:06cv808), that Tammy Holt and a class of female employees at T&D Electric were subjected to sexual comments and touching by the company's co-owner / president. The remarks included, among other things, remarks about women's bodies and clothing and comments about sex acts. The EEOC also asserted that the company knew or should have known about the harassment and failed to prevent or stop it. The suit further charges that as a result of the sexual harassment, several women were forced to quit their jobs.

Sexual harassment in the workplace violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement with the company to eliminate these discriminatory practices.

"Sexual harassment by a company owner is especially egregious," said Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney for the agency's Charlotte District Office. "Employers have an obligation under federal law to ensure a work environment free from illegal harassment, to promptly investigate complaints, and to take appropriate corrective measures to stop this misconduct."

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.

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