Question:  Do you think that training could have prevented this?  The HR Classroom training system allows employers to include their company policies and complaint procedures in the training.  See http://www.hrclassroom.com for more information.

A U.S. District Court jury brought in a verdict of over $1.5 million for sexual harassment and retaliation in a lawsuit against Mid-American Specialties (Mid- American), a Memphis-based company that distributes promotional products and office supplies, the agency announced today. The actual jury award included more than $400,000 in compensatory damages and back pay to three women and $1.1 million in punitive damages.

The jury found that two male managers at Mid-American subjected female subordinates to severe, unwelcome sexual harassment.  According to trial testimony, one manager exposed his genitals and forced one of the women to place her hand on his private parts.  There was further testimony that another manager made demands for women to participate in a “kissing” or “smooching” club in order to receive the sales leads and accounts necessary for the women to earn commissions.

The trial evidence further showed that as a result of their rejection of managers’ sexual advances and complaints about the harassment, Mid-American fired two of the women.  During the two years that the harassment took place, Mid-American had no sexual harassment policy, no training on sexual harassment, and no reporting procedures.  Company officials testified that they did not think that such policies and procedures were necessary, so the complaints of the women fell on deaf ears.  The human resources manager testified that she did not even know the definition of sexual harassment at the time of the events.