Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. EEOC Sues Dunkin' Donuts For  Sexual Harassment
Press Release 11-27-2009

EEOC Sues Dunkin' Donuts For  Sexual Harassment

Federal Agency Charges Wynantskill Store Manager Grabbed and Verbally Harassed Teenage Employees

RENSSELAER, N.Y.  —Severalfemale  employees, some of whom were teenagers, were subjected to severe and pervasive  sexual harassment at a Wynantskill, N.Y., Dunkin' Donuts, the U.S. Equal  Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in an employment  discrimination lawsuit announced today.

The EEOC's lawsuit filed Wednesday,  November 25, 2009, charges that the manager of the Dunkin' Donuts on Main Street in  Wynantskill grabbed female employees' buttocks and breasts, kissed them on the  neck, and hugged them against their will.  He told them they were "hot" and told them he preferred virgins. He asked about their sex lives and described  in explicit detail the sexual acts he wanted to perform on them, the EEOC  said. He warned them not to tell anyone  about what he said to them. The EEOC  alleges company officials  failed to take adequate measures to prevent and/or stop the harassment despite  complaints.

Sexual harassment violates Title VII  of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The  EEOC filed the suit against College View Donuts LLC, doing business as Dunkin'  Donuts, Civil Action No. 1:09-cv-01320-TJM-RFT, in U.S. District Court for the  Northern District of New York, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation  settlement.

The suit seeks  monetary relief, effective policies and procedures against discrimination,  effective training on anti-discrimination laws, and a permanent injunction  against discrimination.

"The EEOC brought this action to obtain  all appropriate remedies for these victims," said Spencer H. Lewis, Jr.,  director of the EEOC's New York District Office. "Companies  need to understand that they must be vigilant about protecting its employees  from harassment."

EEOC Senior Trial Attorney Adela  Santos added, "The EEOC takes allegations of sexual harassment very seriously,  especially when the employees being harassed are teens. For many of these employees, this is their  first job and they don't know how to complain, especially when the harasser is  their manager."

The EEOC is responsible  for enforcing federal laws against employment discrimination. Further information is available at www.eeoc.gov.