Action Insulation to Pay $40,000 in EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Action Insulation Co., a general contractor specializing in insulation installation and asbestos abatement in Port Wentworth, Georgia, agreed to pay $40,000 to settle a sexual harassment and constructive discharge lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC suit said Action Insulation’s owner subjected a female office manager to sexual harassment, including by making unwanted sexual comments and jokes, showing her lewd photographs, slapping her buttocks, pulling her hair, and touching her in an unwanted manner. The agency said the office manager resisted the owner’s advances and complained twice to her supervisor, but the company failed to take any action to stop the harassment. According to the suit, the office manager was left with no choice but to resign after the harassment escalated to physical assault.

“Employees have a right to a workplace free from sexual harassment,” said Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office. “The EEOC is pleased that Action Insulation will take measures to ensure that its employees’ rights are protected.”

The company’s alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment in employment. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Action Insulation Co., Civil Action No. 4:25-CV-00152-RSB-CLR) in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Savannah Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The three-year consent decree settling the suit requires Action Insulation to provide monetary relief to the employee; revise and redistribute its anti-harassment policies; provide anti-harassment training to its employees; and post a notice in the workplace informing employees of the settlement and of their rights against discrimination. Furthermore, the company will provide the EEOC with periodic reports regarding complaints of sexual harassment.

Darrell Graham, district director of the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office, said, “The EEOC is committed to protecting employees from sexual harassment. We encourage all employers to adopt measures to prevent and remedy any such conduct in their workplace.”

For more information on sexual harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment.

The EEOC’s Atlanta District Office has jurisdiction over Georgia and the counties of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper and Williamsburg in South Carolina.

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.