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Niemann Foods, Inc., doing business as County Market Store #224, based in Quincy, Ill., has agreed to pay $300,000 to conciliate a sexual harassment charge investigated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

EEOC's investigation revealed that Niemann subjected a class of female employees to sexual harassment that included unwelcome physical contact. Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to the three-year agreement resolving the matter, the monetary settlement will be divided among the alleged discrimination victims. Niemann Foods will retain an experienced outside consultant to provide annual training to all members of its Human Resources Department and all employees at its Chatham, Ill., location on the topics of discrimination and harassment, including, but not limited to, sex discrimination and harassment under Title VII. The company has also agreed to provide periodic reporting to EEOC on all complaints of sex discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation made at its Chatham location, and will post an internal notification to its Chatham employees of this conciliation. Niemann will also revise its employment policy to comply with Title VII and will distribute the revised policy (including laminated cards with the company's equal employment opportunity hotline number listed) to all employees.