Cataldo Community Residential to Pay $60,000 to Resolve EEOC Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Charge

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Cataldo Community Residential Inc. agreed to pay $60,000 in compensatory damages and back pay and provide other injunctive relief to resolve a sexual harassment and retaliation investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC’s investigation found that during the summer of 2024, a female employee was subjected to inappropriate sex-based comments and sexual harassment from another employee, which created a hostile work environment. She complained, and in June 2024, members of management and at least one owner were aware of the harassment. However, they failed to intervene or take any action to protect the employee.

The evidence revealed the company retaliated against the employee for complaining about the harassment, making her working conditions so intolerable she was ultimately forced to resign in August 2024.

“Sexual harassment remains a persistent problem in American workplaces,” said Elizabeth M. Cannon, director of the EEOC’s Seattle Field Office. “Federal laws contain strong anti-retaliation protections so that workers can feel safe about speaking up when something isn’t right. Employers have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that individuals who report harassment and discrimination are protected from retaliation.”

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits sex-based harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation for complaining about it.

Following the investigation, the parties engaged in the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation process, resulting in a settlement requiring the company to provide back pay and compensatory damages to the former employee. The company is also required to revise its non-discrimination policies and procedures, conduct training for all employees, managers and human resources personnel, post a notice concerning equal employment opportunity rights, and report its progress to the agency for two years.

For more information on sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace, visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment and https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

The EEOC’s Seattle Field Office has jurisdiction over Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

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 also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.