The federal agency had charged that a the store manager of a Sonic drive-in restaurant located in the eastern part of Athens, Ga., subjected a female carhop to a barrage of sexually charged comments and repeated sexual overtures. The EEOC further asserted that the manager subjected the carhop to unwelcome touching that became increasingly menacing and ultimately forced her to resign. The EEOC first filed the suit on July 2, 2008 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.

The consent decree settling the suit, in addition to the monetary relief of $70,000, includes provisions for equal employment opportunity training, reporting, and postings. In the suit and consent decree, SDI Athens and Tomco Management denied any liability or wrongdoing.