Long John Silver’s managers retaliated against teen when she said no to sex, feds say
Two managers of a Long John Silver’s restaurant in Illinois sexually harassed one of their teenage employees, then retaliated against her when she said no, federal officials say.
In a federal lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the two adult men were accused of making “lewd comments” toward the girl, touching her without consent, proposing sex and sending “sexually explicit text messages and videos.”
And when the teen alleged that Long John Silver’s refused to investigate her sexual harassment, which she objected to, she said her hours were reduced in retaliation, according to a March 17 news release from the EEOC.
Now the fast food company has agreed to pay the former Centralia employee $200,000 as part of settling the federal lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed June 25, after officials say Long John Silver’s refused any pre-litigation settlement as part of a conciliation process.
“We applaud the courage of the young woman who came forward to report this harassment,” Gregory Gochanour, regional attorney of the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, said in the release. “No woman should be forced to work in this kind of environment, and her willingness to come forward helped protect other vulnerable young women from suffering the same treatment.”
In a statement to McClatchy News, a spokesperson for Long John Silver’s said the company cares “deeply about the safety and wellbeing of our employees.”
“Our policies, procedures, and training programs are designed to keep employees protected. We do not tolerate harassment of any kind,” the March 18 statement said. “We were extremely disappointed to learn of the allegations that led to this settlement. We have worked closely with the EEOC and local crew members to investigate and take corrective action.
“The employees involved in the matter are no longer with the organization. Additionally, we strengthened our workplace safety training—with particular emphasis on harassment, diversity, and inclusion—across the enterprise. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a safe workplace for all.”
The company has 190 seafood restaurants across the country.
In settling the lawsuit, Long John Silver’s also agreed to harassment prevention policies and training on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation. The company also must post notices about the settlement and periodically report any sex discrimination complaints to the EEOC for two years, according to the news release.
“The EEOC is committed to addressing sexual harassment in the food service industry, particularly where the victims are vulnerable workers such as the teenagers targeted in this case,” said Chicago District Director Julianne Bowman. “The EEOC hopes this case will serve as a warning to employers to monitor their workplaces for harassment and respond appropriately to complaints.”
Centralia is about 270 miles southwest of Chicago.
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