Monson Fruit to Pay $250,000 in EEOC Sex Harassment Lawsuit

YAKIMA, Wash. — Produce company Monson Fruit Co. will pay $250,000 and provide injunctive relief to resolve a sexual harassment lawsuit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. 

According to the EEOC’s complaint, a Latina agricultural worker faced sexual harassment including repeated unwelcome advances and requests for sex from a manager in 2019. After she rejected his propositions and reported the conduct, her coworker husband was fired in retaliation, the agency alleged. The lawsuit also said that Monson management failed to act on reports of the harassment.

Such alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex harassment and retaliation and requires employers to take prompt action to investigate and stop the misconduct after they receive notice of it. After first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through conciliation, the EEOC filed its lawsuit (EEOC v Monson Fruit, Co. LLC, Case No. 1:22-cv-03133-MKD) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

Under the three-year consent decree settling the suit, Monson will pay $250,000 to the two former employees and implement additional policies and procedures to bolster its compliance with Title VII. These include a new reporting hotline and trainings for supervisors and managers on investigative techniques for sexual harassment investigations. Monson will also remove the alleged harasser from any supervisory positions.

“The EEOC commends Monson’s new ownership for its cooperation in finding an appropriate resolution of this case, even though the harassment here predated its involvement,” said Elizabeth M. Cannon, the director of the EEOC’s Seattle Field Office, which is part of the EEOC’s San Francisco District. “This settlement provides fair compensation and closure for these two workers and benefits Monson and its workforce going forward.”

EEOC Senior Trial Attorney James H. Baker added, “Building robust EEO infrastructure will protect both employees and companies from workplace harassment. We encourage employers who want to proactively address harassment to review the agency’s Select Task Force report on workplace harassment and ‘Risk Factors for Harassment and Responsive Strategies.”

In fiscal year 2023, the EEOC recovered over $60 million for violations of Title VII involving sex harassment. For more information on sexual harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment.

The EEOC’s San Francisco District has jurisdiction over Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Northern California, Northern Nevada, and Washington.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.