Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sues Walmart for sexual harassment

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sues Walmart over sexual harassment claims.

The suit, filed this week, alleges that a female employee was harassed by a manager and later fired for reporting the harassment.

“The manager of Walmart Supercenter #1499 in Lewisburg, West Virginia, subjected a class of female employees to egregious sexual harassment, including unwelcome and offensive sexual touching, requests for sexual acts in exchange for money or favorable treatment at work, requests that female workers expose intimate body areas, and making crude sexual innuendos,” a release from the EEOC said about the suit.

The EEOC claims that Walmart received multiple complaints about the store manager’s conduct and failed to take appropriate action to stop the harassment. After the manager was reported for the harassment, the company fired the victim in retaliation.

Walmart sued by EEOC over allegations of discrimination to employees with disabilities

A release from the EEOC claims that the alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits harassment and discrimination because of sex.

Walmart commented on the lawsuit, saying “We don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind and want all our associates to feel respected. We take this seriously and the claims raised to our Ethics Department were investigated and were not substantiated. We will respond as appropriate once we are served with the complaint.”

EEOC Philadelphia District Office Director Jamie R. Williamson said, “Employees have the right to a workplace free of discrimination, and no employee should have to endure offensive and sexual comments while in the workplace, especially from persons in positions of authority.”

This is the second lawsuit the EEOC has filed against Walmart this month.

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