EEOC Sues East Jordan Plastics for Sexual Harassment

DETROIT— East Jordan Plastics, Inc., a manufacturer of plastic horticultural containers, violated federal law when it subjected female production employees to sexual harassment before taking untimely remedial action, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, female employees at East Jordan Plastic’s Beaverton, Michigan location were sexually harassed by a male co-worker. The harassing conduct included sexually explicit comments and inappropriate touching. Because East Jordan Plastics received at least two complaints from different women, it was aware of the harassment, but it took no disciplinary action against the male employee. The company finally conducted interviews and terminated the harasser, but only after yet another woman complained.

The company’s alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. East Jordan Plastics, Case No. 2:25-cv-12302) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

“Several complaints should not be necessary to convince an employer that sexually charged misconduct is taking place and needs to be addressed,” said EEOC Regional Attorney Kenneth Bird. “An employer must take seriously the first complaint of harassment that it receives.”

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

The EEOC’s Indianapolis District Office has jurisdiction over Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and parts of Ohio.

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.