Elks Lodge No. 954 in Jerseyville, Ill.,
will pay $107,500 and furnish other relief to settle a sexual
harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced. The EEOC had
charged that the lodge violated federal law by sexually harassing three
female bartenders and then taking reprisals against them when they
complained.
In its lawsuit (Case No. 3:09-cv-00200), filed in U.S. District
Court in East St. Louis, Illinois, the EEOC claims that Vicki Vickers,
Elizabeth Stemm, and Jackie Davidson (formerly Jackie Atteberry at the
time of her employment) were subjected to unlawful sexual harassment
while working at Elks Lodge No. 954 by three members of the Elks’ board
of trustees on numerous occasions in 2005 and 2006. The abuse included
repeated unwelcome sexual advances and touching, and sexually explicit
comments. The suit alleged that after victims complained about the
conduct, their work hours were cut, they were assigned the least
desirable shifts, and they were subjected to threats and other abusive
verbal comments. Davidson was terminated, the EEOC said, and the
environment became so hostile that Vickers was compelled to resign.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color,
religion, sex (including sexual harassment or pregnancy) or national
origin, and protects employees who complain about such offenses from
retaliation. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement.
As part of the settlement, the Elks Lodge agreed to pay $107,500 to
the former bartenders, to conduct sexual harassment training for Elks
managers and employees and to report complaints of sex harassment made
by Elks employees to the EEOC regional attorney for a period of three
years.
“While the Elks do not admit to any wrongdoing, this settlement
signals a willingness to move forward in a manner designed to prevent
future sexual harassment from occurring and, if it does happen, prepare
its managers to take decisive and immediate action to stop it,” said
EEOC attorney Melvin Kennedy.