Nevada Restaurant Services Settles $1.2 Million EEOC Sexual Harassment Suit

LAS VEGAS – Nevada Restaurant Services, Inc., owner and operator of a chain of gambling parlors and hotel casino and resort facilities, including Laughlin River Lodge Hotel & Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, will pay $1.2 million and implement other remedies to settle a sexual harassment and constructive discharge lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, since at least 2018, male and female employees of Nevada Restaurant Services were subjected to both verbal and physical sexual harassment by co-workers and supervisors. The EEOC alleged the company knew of the harassment and failed to effectively address complaints, generating adverse working conditions in which some employees feeling that they had no choice but to resign.

“We commend Nevada Restaurant Services for their cooperation in the early resolution of this lawsuit and agreeing to implement proactive measures to proactively address sexual harassment and to encourage employees to report harassment,” said Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles district, whose jurisdiction includes Las Vegas. “It is imperative that employers take great care to ensure that their workers are protected from sexual harassment by having effective policies and procedures and hold managers and supervisors accountable for worker safety.”

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits a hostile workplace environment based on sex, including sexual harassment. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Nevada Restaurant Services, Inc., 2:23-cv-01307) in U.S. District Court for Nevada after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

EEOC Las Vegas Local Office Director Michael Mendoza said, “The EEOC remains committed to enforcing federal laws and is here to serve the public. We encourage others to come forward if they are experiencing discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in the workplace.”

In addition to the $1.2 million in monetary relief provided in the three-year, court-enforced consent decree signed Oct. 14, Nevada Restaurant Services will post a notice of this settlement and agreed to implement additional measures to deter and respond to incidents of sexual harassment.

Measures include training to all employees about sexual harassment and reporting procedures, with additional training for managers and human resources representatives; establishment of an online complaint procedure; centralized tracking of reports; distribution of its policy and reporting procedures to employees; sending a follow-up questionnaire to employees who complained of sexual harassment to ensure compliance with anti-harassment and retaliation procedures; and retention of an equal employment opportunity monitor to ensure compliance with the consent decree.

The consent decree establishes a process for current and former employees to file claims to share in the distribution of the $1.2 million monetary settlement. Current and former employees who experienced sexual harassment between 2019 to the present may be eligible. For more information, potential claimants may call 213-785-3095 option #5; or email LOSALegalClass5@eeoc.gov for more instructions on how to file a claim.

To learn more about sexual harassment, visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment.

The EEOC’s Los Angeles District includes central and southern California, southern Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island and the Northern Mariana Islands, with offices in Los Angeles, Fresno, Las Vegas, San Diego and Honolulu.

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.