EEOC Sues Miller’s Grill for Sexual Harassment, Retaliation

ST. LOUIS – Miller’s Grill, a Washington, Missouri restaurant, violated federal law when its owner made crude sexual comments and inappropriately touched an employee, then demoted her, reduced her hours, and failed to pay her at the appropriate pay rate because of her sex and because she refused his sexual advances, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s suit, Miller’s Grill owner Larry Miller made lewd and sexual comments toward the female employee, asked her for sex, frequently screamed and yelled at her, exploded in angry outbursts toward her, and loudly criticized her performance in front of customers and other employees. Miller grabbed her around the waist, touched her buttocks, and frequently brushed up against her body with his body. He commented that her breasts looked good and speculated in front of others she had a “boob job.” Miller said he should fire the employee so she could go out with him and he “want[ed] to smack that ass.” Miller often engaged in this behavior after he had been drinking, the EEOC says.

When the employee – who was a manager there – ignored Miller’s behavior and started looking for another job, Miller demoted her from a management position, reduced her work hours, did not pay her at the proper pay rate, and ultimately stopped scheduling her for work.

Such alleged conduct violated the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits harassment because of an employee’s sex, and altering the terms and conditions of the person’s employment because of their sex or in retaliation for opposing unlawful discrimination and harassment. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Miller’s Grill, Inc., Case No. 4:25-cv-00907) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri – Eastern Division after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

“Sexual harassment, especially by a business owner, is intolerable,” said Andrea G. Baran, regional attorney for the EEOC’s St. Louis District Office. “Federal law protects workers from sexual harassment and from retaliation when the employee refuses their supervisor’s sexual advances.”

David S. Davis, director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District office, said, “The EEOC is committed to protecting individuals’ right to work in a harassment-free environment.”

For more information about sex discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sex-based-discrimination. For more information on sexual harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment. For more information about retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation

The EEOC’s St. Louis District Office is responsible for addressing discrimination charges and conducting agency litigation in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and a portion of southern Illinois.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.